Plasma Levels of Beta 2-Microglobulin in Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

It is recently reported that Beta 2-microglobulin ( 2M) is a serologic marker for celllular immune activation in inflammatory heart diseases. This study was designed to assess the plasma levels of 2M in 21 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. 10 men and 11 women, aged 54.8 ± 13.9 years were subjected to these studies. The control group consisted of 25 healthy donors (11 men and 14 women, aged 46.4 ± 12.7 years. The patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were in New York Heart functional class II to IV and had an ejection fraction of < 40% assessed by echocardiography at the time of evaluation. They had no evidence of active infection, inflammatory disease, cancer, hypertension or renal failure. They received a standardized therapeutic regimen consisting of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, long-acting nitrates, digitalis and furosemide (40 to 160 mg/day). Endomyocardial biopsy and cardiac catheterization were not performed. Native serum and ethylene diaminetetraacetate plasma were stored at -20°C until use. The plasma values of 2M were determined by radioimmunoassay kits. The plasma levels of 2M were significantly elevated in patients group compared with control subjects (2153.73 ± 22.79 vs 880.99 ± 228.97 microgram/liter, respectively, p < 0.001).
In conclusion, plasma 2M was associated with the T cellular hyperresponsiveness and may serve as useful marker of disease activitiy reflecting different aspects in the multifactorial pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy. Future studies are neccesary to detect prognostic or predicitive roles of 2M in heart failure.