title: Fibrinopeptide A levels in patients with acute ischaemic heart disease.
abstract: Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) levels were determined in 40 consecutive patients admitted to the coronary care unit with a typical history of chest pain: in 24 of them a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in 16 a diagnosis of angina was made. Seven of the patients with AMI suffered from recurrent episodes of early post-infarctional angina. FPA levels were determined in each patient on admission and every 4 h for 48 h. On admission in patients with both angina and AMI the FPA levels were significantly higher than in normal controls; these levels were higher in patients with AMI than in those with angina, but this difference was not significant. In patients with angina the values decreased progressively after 12 h to baseline values, while in those with AMI the high levels of FPA persisted throughout the 48-hour observation period. In many instances, particularly after 24 h, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant. In patients with early post-infarctional angina the episode of angor was preceded by or corresponded to a new great elevation of FPA levels. These data suggest that the thrombin generation is higher and more prolonged in patients with AMI than in those with angina; the determination of FPA levels, which are an index of 'in vivo' thrombin generation, can be useful to follow the clinical course of ischaemic heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pacchiarini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Storti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zucchella
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grignani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fratino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D005340:Fibrinogen