Elevated Plasma Progranulin Levels Linked to Improved Heart Function Recovery After AMI: Study Finds

Acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, often by a blood clot. This disruption leads to cell death and tissue damage, significantly impairing the ability of the heart to pump blood effectively. One of the key long-term concerns for heart attack survivors is the recovery of left ventricular function—the heart's primary pumping chamber. Poor recovery can lead to heart failure, a chronic condition that severely impacts quality of life.

Progranulin is a secreted glycoprotein involved in regulating inflammation and tissue repair. However, the role of plasma progranulin levels during the acute phase and their clinical significance in patients with AMI are still not fully understood. To fill this knowledge gap, Shinya Minatoguchi, Department of Cardiology, Gifu Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan, and colleagues aimed to explore the relationship between elevated plasma progranulin levels in the acute phase and the recovery of left ventricular function in the chronic phase of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a six-month follow-up study involving 18 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Blood samples were collected from the antecubital vein on day 0 (admission) and day 7 during the acute phase. A control group of 16 patients without significant coronary artery stenosis, as confirmed by cardiac catheterization, was also included.

Plasma progranulin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To assess left ventricular function, echocardiography was performed in both the acute phase (within 7 days) and the chronic phase (6 months post-AMI). Left ventricular ejection fraction was evaluated using the modified Simpson’s method.

The study led to the following findings:

• Plasma progranulin levels on day 0 in the AMI group (69.5 ± 24.6 ng/mL) were comparable to those in the control group (84.2 ± 47.1 ng/mL).
• A significant increase in progranulin levels was observed in the AMI group on day 7 (104.2 ± 52.0 ng/mL) compared to day 0.
• The rise in plasma progranulin levels during the acute phase was positively correlated with improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction between the acute and chronic phases.
• Of all factors analyzed, only plasma progranulin levels were positively correlated with left ventricular functional recovery in the chronic phase.

"We demonstrated that plasma progranulin levels rise during the acute phase following acute myocardial infarction and that this increase is positively associated with improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction during the chronic phase. The elevation in plasma progranulin levels may play a role in enhancing left ventricular function recovery over time," the researchers wrote.

"This suggests that acute-phase plasma progranulin levels could serve as a predictive biomarker for chronic-phase left ventricular functional recovery in AMI patients," they concluded.

Reference:

Minatoguchi, S., Satake, A., Murase, H., Yoshizumi, R., Komaki, H., Baba, S., Yasuda, S., Ojio, S., Tanaka, T., Okura, H., & Minatoguchi, S. (2024). Elevated plasma progranulin levels in the acute phase are correlated with recovery of left ventricular function in the chronic phase in patients with acute myocardial infarction. PLOS ONE, 19(11), e0313014. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313014