Expression of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 gene in peripheral blood of patients with acute myocardial infarction

This study aimed to determine the amount of expression of the <i>ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1)</i> gene chip as a prospective diagnostic marker for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a wide population . In the AMI and control groups, 113 patients with AMI and 83 persons with non-coronary artery disease were selected for peripheral venous leukocyte collection. Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to detect relative <i>ABCB1</i> expression in both groups. The results showed that the <i>ABCB1</i> transcription and protein levels in the AMI group were higher than in the control. The relative mRNA expression of <i>ABCB1</i> was 0.26 (0.03–0.79) in the AMI group and 0.13 (0.01–0.52) in the control group (P &lt; 0.05). The expression of the <i>ABCB1</i> gene at the protein level in the AMI group was 1.65 times that in the control (P &lt; 0.05). Further, the subjects in the AMI group were older (P &lt; 0.001), had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.038), and had higher incidence of type II diabetes mellitus (P = 0.003) compared with the control. Logistic regression analysis showed that the expression of <i>ABCB1</i> in peripheral blood was correlated with the occurrence of AMI (P = 0.003). High <i>ABCB1</i> expression, type II diabetes, and advanced age were found to serve as potential independent risk factors for AMI, with a 4.88-fold, 2.99-fold, and 2.63-fold increased risk of AMI. Overall, the high expression of <i>ABCB1</i> in peripheral blood might be related to the occurrence of AMI.