Ametabolic biomarker in an inherited heart disorder called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy could predict the progression of disease, which in some cases has no detectable symptoms and can result in sudden death, according to a study published on February 12 in Science Translational Medicine.
Researchers identified elevated levels of β-hydroxybutyrate, a ketone body that is the product of fatty acid oxidation, in the heart tissue of patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, as well as in plasma samples from both patients and their relatives suspected of having the disease, according to a press release. A mouse model also confirmed elevated levels of the same biomarker.
J.-P. Song et al., “Elevated plasma β-hydroxybutyrate predicts adverse outcomes and disease progression in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy,” Science Translational Medicine, doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aay8329, 2020.
Amy Schleunes is an intern at The Scientist. Email her at aschleunes@the-scientist.com.
