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