Myosin changes in hypertrophied human atrial and ventricular myocardium. A correlated immuno-fluorescence and quantitative immunochemical study on serial cryosections

Two antigenically distinct types of myosin heavy chain, referred to as alpha and beta, have been identified in autoptic and bioptic specimens of human heart using specific antimyosin antibodies. By immunofluorescence heavy chain alpha was present in all atrial myocytes and in a variable number of ventricular myocytes. Heavy chain beta was present in all ventricular myocytes and in a number of atrial myocytes. Ventricular hypertrophy in patients with aortic stenosis, systemic hypertension or tetralogy of Fallot was characterized by an almost complete absence of fibres reactive with anti-alpha. A striking decrease in alpha chain reactivity and a parallel increase in beta chain reactivity was apparent in the hypertrophied left atria of patients with mitral stenosis. To quantify these myosin changes a novel procedure was developed whereby myosin was extracted from single cryosections serial to those processed for immunofluorescence and the relative amount of alpha and beta heavy chain was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Heavy chain alpha was less than 5% in most normal ventricular specimens and disappeared completely under the effect of pressure overload. On the other hand heavy chain beta was generally undetectable in the left atrial myocardium but increased up to 90% in biopsies of hypertrophied atria.