Serum deoxyribonuclease I activity can be used as a novel marker of transient myocardial ischaemia: results in vasospastic angina pectoris induced by provocation test.
OBJECTIVE
Serum deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) activity has recently been highlighted as a potential diagnostic marker for detection of acute myocardial infarction. To evaluate whether serum DNase I activity is useful for detection of myocardial ischaemia, we investigated alteration of its levels after onset of vasospastic angina pectoris (VSAP), resulting in transient myocardial ischaemia, induced by the intracoronary ergonovine provocation test.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine consecutive patients with suspected VSAP were subjected to the test. Patients were categorized as VSAP-positive (n = 13) or -negative (n = 16) based on development of angina. Serum samples were examined for DNase I activity before, immediately after, and 3, 6, and 24 h after the provocation tests. The serum DNase I activity increased significantly from the baseline 3 h after the provocation test in 11 patients of the VSAP-positive group whose levels of troponin T were within the normal range. Median of the percentage differences from the baseline in serum DNase I activity 3 h after the test was 32.1% (25th and 75th percentile: 28.6 and 42.0%, respectively; P = 0.000012). In the VSAP-negative group, levels of DNase I activity remained unchanged at any point of time after the provocation test.


CONCLUSIONS
Transient myocardial ischaemia resulting from VSAP induces a significant elevation of serum DNase I activity. Therefore, serum DNase I activity may be applicable as a useful marker for detecting transient myocardial ischaemia.
Morikawa
Norihiro
N
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Fukui, Japan.
Kawai
Yasuyuki
Y
Arakawa
Kenichiro
K
Kumamoto
Teruhiko
T
Miyamori
Isamu
I
Akao
Hironobu
H
Kitayama
Michihiko
M
Kajinami
Kouji
K
Lee
Jong-Dae
JD
Takeshita
Haruo
H
Kominato
Yoshihiko
Y
Yasuda
Toshihiro
T
D000368:Aged; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I / Q000097:blood*; D004874:Ergonovine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010120:Oxytocics
D015415:Biomarkers; D010120:Oxytocics; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D004874:Ergonovine