The impact of admission procalcitonin on prognosis in acute coronary syndromes: a pilot study

BUN/albumin ratio predicts short-term mortality better than SYNTAX score in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to compare the prognostic power of the BUN/albumin ratio (BAR) calculated on admission to the emergency department and the SYNergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXus (SYNTAX) score calculated after coronary angiography (CAG) in predicting 30-day mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHOD AND MATERIAL

The study was conducted prospectively between March 2021 and March 2022 in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. Patients over the age of 18 who underwent CAG with a diagnosis of STEMI were included in the study. Demographic charecteristics, comorbidities, laboratory parameters of the patients at the time of admission and SYNTAX (SX) score were recorded in the data form.

RESULTS

A total of 1147 patients (77% male) diagnosed with STEMI were included in the study. When the receiver-operating characteristic analysis for SX score and laboratory parameters' power to predict mortality was examined, it was found that the AUC value of the BAR level (AUC: 0.736; 95% confidence interval: 0.670-0.802, P  < 0.001) was the highest. If the threshold value of the serum BAR level, which was determined to predict mortality, was taken as 4, the sensitivity was found to be 76.7% and the specificity was 56.9%. With multivariate logistic analysis, it was determined that the risk of mortality increased by 1.25 for each unit increase in the BAR value in STEMI patients ( P  < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

According to the study data, the BAR may guide the clinician in the early period as a practical and valuable predictor of 30-day mortality in patients diagnosed with STEMI.

Procalcitonin Predicts Bacterial Infection, but Not Long-Term Occurrence of Adverse Events in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

This study compiles data to determine if procalcitonin (PCT) values may predict both the risk of bacterial infection and potentially negative long-term outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). All patients with a diagnosis of ACS that had PCT levels assessed during the first 24 h of hospitalization were enrolled in this study. The primary outcome was to detect the presence of bacterial infection defined as the occurrence of fever and at least one positive blood or urinary culture with clinical signs of infection. The secondary outcome was to monitor the occurrence after 1 year of the composite outcome of all-cause mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction. Overall, 569 patients were enrolled (mean age 69.37 ± 14 years, 30% females). Of these, 44 (8%) met the criteria for bacterial infection. After multivariate analysis, PCT and SBP were found to be independent predictors of bacterial infections (OR for PCT above the cut-off 2.67, 95% CI 1.09-6.53, p = 0.032 and OR for SBP 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, p = 0.043). After 1 year, the composite outcome of all-cause death, MI and stroke occurred in 104 patients (18%). PCT was not found to be an independent predictor of these outcomes. In conclusion, when assessing ACS, we found that testing for PCT levels during hospital admissions procedures was a good predictor of bacterial infections but not of all-cause mortality, stroke, or myocardial infarction. Clinicaltrial.org identifier: NCT02438085.

Effects of atorvastatin doses on serum level of procalcitonin and predictors for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a pilot study and post hoc analysis

BACKGROUND

Inflammation plays an important role in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Procalcitonin levels rise in response to proinflammatory stimuli. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of atorvastatin on the serum inflammatory profiles, especially procalcitonin and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with AMI during hospitalization.

METHODS

The patients who were admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of The Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital (Beijing, China) between January 2015 and December 2015 with a diagnosis of AMI were enrolled, and randomized to atorvastatin 20 mg/day postoperatively (20-mg group), 40 mg/day postoperatively (40-mg group) and 80 mg preoperatively+40 mg/day postoperatively (80/40-mg group). Serum procalcitonin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were evaluated before and at 1 and 3 days after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

RESULTS

A total of 112 patients with AMI (23 women and 89 men) were prospectively eligible for the study. There were no significant differences in most clinical data among the three groups. The 80/40-mg group showed significantly reduced serum procalcitonin levels at 1 and 3 days after PCI (P < 0.001) and reduced hs-CRP levels at 3 days P = 0.001) compared with 20-mg and 40-mg groups. Serum procalcitonin (OR, 4.593; 95% CI, 1.476-8.387; P = 0.005), hs-CRP (OR, 1.149; 95% CI, 1.012-1.338; P = 0.018), highly sensitive cardiac troponin T (OR, 1.255; 95% CI, 1.004-1.569, P = 0.009) and Gensini score (OR, 1.022; 95% CI, 1.045-1.062; P = 0.013) were independently associated with MACEs during hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

The use of atorvastatin 80 mg before and 40 mg/day after PCI in patients with AMI can effectively reduce serum inflammatory factors. procalcitonin and hs-CRP were independently associated with in-hospital MACEs.

Procalcitonin in special patient populations: Guidance for antimicrobial therapy

PURPOSE

Procalcitonin (PCT) is an endogenous hormone that increases reliably in response to bacterial infection, and measurement of serum PCT levels is recommended to help guide antimicrobial therapy. The utility of PCT assessment in special patient populations (eg, patients with renal dysfunction, cardiac compromise, or immunocompromised states and those undergoing acute care surgery) is less clear. The evidence for PCT-guided antimicrobial therapy in special populations is reviewed.

SUMMARY

In the presence of bacterial infection, nonneuroendocrine PCT is produced in response to bacterial toxins and inflammatory cytokines, resulting in markedly elevated levels of serum PCT. Cytokine induction in nonbacterial inflammatory processes activated by acute care surgery may alter the interpretation of PCT levels. The reliability of PCT assessment has also been questioned in patients with renal dysfunction, cardiac compromise, or immunosuppression. In many special populations, serum PCT may be elevated at baseline and increase further in the presence of infection; thus, higher thresholds for diagnosing infection or de-escalating therapy should be considered, although the optimal threshold to use in a specific population is unclear. Procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial therapy may be recommended in certain clinical situations.

CONCLUSION

Procalcitonin may be a reliable marker of infection even in special populations with baseline elevations in serum PCT. However, due to unclear threshold values and the limited inclusion of special populations in relevant clinical trials, PCT levels should be considered along with clinical criteria, and antibiotics should never be initiated or withheld based on PCT values alone. Procalcitonin measurement may have a role in guiding de-escalation of antibiotic therapy in special populations; however, the clinician should be aware of disease states and concomitant therapies that may affect interpretation of results.

Prognostic role of procalcitonin in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

OBJECTIVE

Cardiogenic shock accounts for the majority of deaths amongst patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Procalcitonin is elevated in acute myocardial infarction, especially when complicated by left heart failure, cardiogenic shock, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and bacterial infections. However, the prognostic utility of procalcitonin in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock has not been systematically evaluated.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective registry review of 125 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock over 2 years at a tertiary referral hospital to examine the prognostic value of serum procalcitonin measurement at 24 hours after the onset of infarction for in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

The mean age of the study population was 57.75 ± 11.1 years, and the median delay from onset to hospital admission was 15 hours. The in-hospital mortality was 28.8%. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed a strong relationship between elevated procalcitonin and in-hospital mortality (area under the curve = 0.676; p = 0.002). Although procalcitonin was found to be higher in non-survivors in univariate analysis, it was not an independent predictor of mortality in multivariate regression analysis. Acute kidney injury, left ventricular ejection fraction, and non-revascularization were independently associated with mortality after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSION

Although procalcitonin was higher in non-survivors, static procalcitonin measurement at 24 hours after the onset of ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock was not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. Additional prospective studies are required to assess the role of serial procalcitonin monitoring in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Elevated plasma procalcitonin level predicts poor prognosis of ST elevation myocardial infarction in Asian elderly

Previous studies have focused on relationship between plasma procalcitonin level and myocardial infarction risk, but this relationship in Asian elderly has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to reveal the association of peripheral procalcitonin concentration (both immediate and average levels) with myocardial infarction prognosis in Asian elderly. A total of 400 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients, 400 unstable angina patients and 400 controls were included. Plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were measured using commercially available kits. Each myocardial infarction patient received a standard therapy and a 12-month follow-up unless major adverse cardiac events occurred. On admission, plasma procalcitonin level was higher in myocardial infarction patients than in unstable angina patients and controls (p < .001). In the follow-up period, 142 myocardial infarction patients suffered from major adverse cardiac events, and other 258 myocardial infarction patients did not. Higher admission, peak and average plasma levels of procalcitonin in the first week after chest pain onset were associated with elevated risk of major adverse cardiac events (HR: 1.46, 95%CI: 1.18-1.99; HR: 2.57, 95%CI: 1.99-3.52; HR: 2.36, 95%CI: 1.81-3.00). Plasma procalcitonin level had a positive linear correlation with plasma level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein on admission (r = 0.650, p < .001). In conclusion, peripheral concentration of procalcitonin (both immediate and average levels) might be an independent predictor for prognosis in myocardial infarction patients. Prognostic significance of procalcitonin might be implicated in inflammation.

Value of Serum Cholinesterase Activity in the Diagnosis of Septic Shock Due to Bacterial Infections

Background:

We aimed to investigate whether serum cholinesterase (SChE) activity can be helpful for the diagnosis of septic shock and to evaluate its usefulness in comparison with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods:

A prospective single-blinded study conducted in an intensive care unit of university hospital. Patients were classified as having cardiogenic shock, septic shock, or hemorrhagic shock. We also included a control group without neither hemodynamic instability nor sepsis. For all included patients, SChE, PCT, and CRP were simultaneously sampled.

Results:

The comparison of sepsis markers between all groups showed that the mean values of PCT and CRP were significantly higher in patients with septic shock. However, SChE activity was significantly lower in this group. The SChE activity was found to be more accurate than PCT and CRP for the diagnosis of septic shock. In fact, an SChE activity ≤ 4000 UI/L predicted the diagnosis of septic shock with a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 89%, a predictive negative value of 97%, and a predictive positive value of 65%. However, the prognostic value of SChE activity was poor in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion:

The SChE activity level was significantly decreased in patients with septic shock. However, its prognostic value is poor. Our results suggest that SChE activity is useful for the diagnosis of septic shock. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Perspectives on the value of biomarkers in acute cardiac care and implications for strategic management

Biomarkers in acute cardiac care are gaining increasing interest given their clinical benefits. This study is a review of the major conditions in acute cardiac care, with a focus on biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic assessment. Through a PubMed search, 110 relevant articles were selected. The most commonly used cardiac biomarkers (cardiac troponin, natriuretic peptides, and C-reactive protein) are presented first, followed by a description of variable acute cardiac conditions with their relevant biomarkers. In addition to the conventional use of natriuretic peptides, cardiac troponin, and C-reactive protein, other biomarkers are outlined in variable critical conditions that may be related to acute cardiac illness. These include ST2 and chromogranin A in acute dyspnea and acute heart failure, matrix metalloproteinase in acute chest pain, heart-type fatty acid binding protein in acute coronary syndrome, CD40 ligand and interleukin-6 in acute myocardial infarction, blood ammonia and lactate in cardiac arrest, as well as tumor necrosis factor-alpha in atrial fibrillation. Endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the physiopathology of most cardiac diseases, whether acute or chronic. In summary, natriuretic peptides, cardiac troponin, C-reactive protein are currently the most relevant biomarkers in acute cardiac care. Point-of-care testing and multi-markers use are essential for prompt diagnostic approach and tailored strategic management.