title: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in non-cardiac conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  PAPP-A is a promising new marker in coronary heart disease. It is important to investigate its specificity in order to establish its clinical utility as a marker of coronary heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  PAPP-A was measured within 24 h following hospital admission in 1448 consecutive patients admitted with diagnoses other than acute coronary syndromes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAPP-A was detectable (> or = 4.0 mIU/L) in 278 (19.2%) patients, among whom the mean level was 6.3 mIU/L (95% C.I., 6.1-6.5 mIU/L). The 95 and 99 percentiles for PAPP-A were 7.3 and 9.4 mIU/L, respectively. There was no difference in the mean PAPP-A of different diagnoses (p=0.33). None of the specific diagnoses known to influence established coronary markers appeared to influence the level of circulating PAPP-A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAPP-A is low in patients without known coronary heart disease. PAPP-A levels seem to be a potentially highly specific marker for heart disease.
authors.affiliation: The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Kasper.Iversen@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Kasper Karmark
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Ane Sogaard
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Teisner
authors.forename: Borge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teisner
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kliem
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bay
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Soren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boesgaard
authors.forename: Peer
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clemmensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A