High-Sensitivity Troponin I Assay for Differential Diagnosis of New-Onset Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Measurement of Cardiac-Specific Biomarkers in the Emergency Department: New Insight in Risk Evaluation

The aim of this article review is to analyze some models and clinical issues related to the implementation of accelerated diagnostic protocols based on specific cardiac biomarkers in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms compatible with acute cardiac disorders. Four specific clinical issues will be discussed in detail: (a) pathophysiological and clinical interpretations of circulating hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT levels; (b) the clinical relevance and estimation of the biological variation of biomarkers in patients admitted to the ED with acute and severe diseases; (c) the role and advantages of the point-of-care testing (POCT) methods for cardiac-specific biomarkers in pre-hospital and hospital clinical practice; and (d) the clinical role of specific cardiac biomarkers in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). In order to balance the risk between a hasty discharge versus the potential harms caused by a cardiac assessment in patients admitted to the ED with suspected acute cardiovascular disease, the measurement of specific cardiac biomarkers is essential for the early identification of the presence of myocardial dysfunction and/or injury and to significantly reduce the length and costs of hospitalization. Moreover, specific cardiac biomarkers (especially hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT) are useful predictors of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients admitted to the ED with suspected acute cardiovascular disease. To guide the implementation of the most rapid algorithms for the diagnosis of Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) into routine clinical practice, clinical scientific societies and laboratory medicine societies should promote collaborative studies specifically designed for the evaluation of the analytical performance and, especially, the cost/benefit ratio resulting from the use of these clinical protocols and POCT methods in the ED clinical practice.

Incremental Value of Cardiac Biomarkers in Mid-term Prognosis of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Given the number of prognostic studies, both short- and long-termed, in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), the data on predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACE) following discharge still remains limited. Aim: to identify early predictors of MACE in MI patients, that underwent Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (pPCI), with special emphasis on multiple cardiac biomarkers. Materials and methods: we analysed clinical, LV functional, angiographic variables, as well cardiac troponin, a marker of myocardial necrosis, natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a marker of myocardial stress, and white blood cells (WBC), as a marker of inflammation. The study population were 150 consecutive patients treated for acute myocardial infarction. Results: The average follow-up period was 31 months. In total, 26 patients suffered from at least one MACE. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified several independent predictors: NT-proBNP (p=0,07), number of diseased vessels (p=0,027), and need for loop diuretic therapy (p=0,050). ROC curve demonstrated excellent discriminatory function for MACE of NT-proBNP and WBC (area under the curve .640, and .658, p=0.025 and 0.011 respectively). Conclusion: The combination of biomarkers for myocardial stress and inflammation improves the prediction of major adverse cardiac events in MI survivors. Keywords: myocardial infarction, cardiac biomarkers, cardiac troponin, natriuretic peptide, prognosis, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), cardiac death