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Abstract: The aim was to examine whether high sensitive troponin T (Hs-TnT) is better than conventional troponins to risk stratify chest pain patients, in particular when applying early serial measurements or combining with natriuretic peptides. Samples were obtained on admission and after 2h in 231 chest pain patients who were followed for a median time of 22months. Troponin levels were determined by Hs-TnT, conventional TnT (Roche Diagnostics) and troponin I (Beckman Coulter) assays. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was determined by the assay from Roche Diagnostics. The combined endpoint was death, MI or heart failure. When predefined decision limits were used, Hs-TnT (14ng/L), TnT (0.04μg/L), and TnI (0.06μg/L) identified 63%, 46%, and 52% of the patients with positive troponin. In those with negative TnT, Hs-TnT identified 36 patients of whom 19% had subsequent events. In those with negative TnI, Hs-TnT identified 26 patients of whom 23% had subsequent events. After adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics, both Hs-TnT and NT-proBNP were independently associated with short-term (3months) risk of combined endpoint and long-term risk of death or MI. By combining Hs-TnT and NT-proBNP patients could be divided into low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: PAPP-A is promising in improving risk stratification and invasive treatment decisions in stable cardiovascular patients. We evaluated the prognostic value of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) measured by a novel assay in stable cardiovascular patients Methods: We investigated 228 stable cardiovascular outpatients. Blood was drawn for PAPP-A measurement after echocardiography and ergometry prior to heart catheterization. Angiographically we determined severity as well as qualitative characteristics suspect for vulnerability of coronary lesions. After 1108±297days, follow-up information was obtained by questionnaire mailings and interviews by phone. Results: 104 patients had coronary stenosis ≥70%, 75 had B-type lesions ≥50%, 46 showed complex lesions, and 68 were suspected to have vulnerable lesions. Median PAPP-A was 1.76 (interquartile range 1.21, 2.63) μIU/ml in the entire cohort. PAPP-A concentrations did not differ in dependence on coronary artery findings. A cutpoint of 2.7μIU/ml was derived from receiver–operator characteristics for outcome measures. For this cutoff, Cox proportional hazard models with 19 further clinical variables showed that PAPP-A was predictive for all-cause death (HR 4.73, 95% CI 1.46–15.31, p=0.01), all-cause death or nonfatal infarction (HR 4.01, 95% CI 1.58–10.13, p=0.003) and all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or hospitalization (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.03–3.70, p=0.04). The predictive value of PAPP-A did not change substantially after correction for values of cardiac troponin, using a highly sensitive cardiac troponin I research assay. Conclusions: PAPP-A, measured by a new, monoclonal antibody-based assay is a promising prognostic marker in patients with stable cardiovascular disease and an indication for heart catheterization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]