| Abstract: | AIM: To compare diagnostic value of a novel marker of myocardial necrosis heart fatty acid binding protein (FABP) with that of troponin I (TnI) and total creatine kinase (CK) in patients admitted early after onset of ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. MATERIAL: Fifty seven patients with ST-segment elevations justifying thrombolytic therapy admitted within 6 hours (29/57 within 3 and 12/57 - 2 hours) after onset of chest pain. In all patients myocardial infarction (MI) was eventually confirmed by development of Q waves and/or diagnostic increase of CK. METHODS: Samples of blood were taken at admission to coronary care unit. Cut-off values for an elevated level of FABP was 12 ng/ml, TnI - 1.2 and 0.4 ng/ml, CK - 400 IU/l. RESULTS: Overall FABP was elevated in 47 (83%), TnI - in 16 (28.1%), CK in 7 (12.3%) patients. Among patients admitted within first 3 and 2 hours FABP was elevated in 23/29 (79.3%) and 11/12 (91%), TnI - in 9/29 (31%) and 5/12 (41.7%), CK in 3/29 (10.3%) and 1/12 (8.3%) patients, respectively. The use of lower cut-off of abnormality (0.4 ng/ml) increased proportion of patients with elevated TnI up to 56.1% in the group as a whole, to 48.3% and 50% among patients admitted within first 3 and 2 hours, respectively. Nevertheless proportion of patients with elevated FABP remained higher with difference being significant for the whole group and patients admitted within first 3 hours (p=0.004 and 0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: Most patients with ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome hospitalized within 2-6 hours after onset of pain had elevated levels of heart FABP. |
