Circulating humanin is lower in coronary artery disease and is a prognostic biomarker for major cardiac events in humans.

BACKGROUND

Humanin is an endogenous mitochondria-derived peptide that plays critical roles in oxidative stress, inflammation and CAD. In this study, we measured the levels of circulating humanin, markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with unstable angina and MI and studied the relationship between these parameters and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

METHODS

A total of 327 subjects were recruited from the inpatient department at First Hospital of Jilin University and divided into 3 groups [control, angina and myocardial infarction (MI)] based on the clinical data and the results of the angiography. Serum humanin and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured at the time of initial admission. The hospitalization data and MACE of all patients were collected.

RESULTS

Circulating humanin levels were lower in the angina group compared to controls [124.22 ± 63.02 vs. 157.77 ± 99.93 pg/ml, p < 0.05] and even lower in MI patients [67.17 ± 24.35 pg/ml, p < 0.05 vs controls] and oxidative stress marker were higher in MI patients compared to the control and angina groups [12.94 ± 4.55 vs. 8.26 ± 1.66 vs. 9.06 ± 2.47 umol/ml, p < 0.05]. Lower circulating humanin levels was an independent risk factor of MI patients. Circulating humanin levels could be used to predict MACE in angina group.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower circulating humanin levels was an independent risk factor for CAD, and a potential prognostic marker for mild CAD.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Humanin may become a new index for the diagnosis and treatment of CAD.