Endogenous digitalis-like factor in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

: The authors examined endogenous digitalis-like factor (DLF) concentrations in the serum and urine in 65 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Radioimmunoassay was used for the examination and patients' data were analyzed in detail in relation to sex, risk factors and acute myocardial infarction complications. The concentrations of digitalis-like factor found in the serum of men (0.317 +/- 0.026 micrograms/l) and women (0.256 +/- 0.057 micrograms/l) with acute myocardial infarction were much higher compared with values of healthy men (0.009 +/- 0.004 micrograms/l) and women (0.015 +/- 0.012 micrograms/l). This finding is in agreement with data published by others and suggests a role of DLF in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction.