Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is not useful for detecting myocardial ischemia during symptom-limited exercise stress tests.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) level during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
Forty patients with a history of chest pain underwent both symptom-limited treadmill exercise stress testing and coronary angiography within one week. During the treadmill tests, blood samples were obtained at baseline and 5 min after exercise to measure the serum IMA level.


RESULTS
Of the 40 patients, fourteen (35%, CAD group) had significant coronary artery stenosis, while the other 26 (65%, non-CAD group) did not. The baseline and post-exercise IMA levels in the two groups did not differ significantly (105.2+/-7.2 vs. 107.7+/-6.7 U/mL at baseline and 93.1+/-10.1 vs. 94.8+/-5.7 U/mL at post-exercise in the CAD and non-CAD groups, p=0.29 and 0.57, respectively). The changes in IMA after exercise did not differ either (-10.4+/-7.5 vs. -14.0+/-7.6 U/mL in the CAD and non-CAD groups, respectively, p=0.10). Similarly, the change in IMA between the exercise ECG test positive (TMT positive, n=9) and negative (TMT negative, n=20) groups did not differ (-14.63+/-5.19, vs -8.50+/-9.01 U/mL, p=0.15, in the TMT positive and negative groups, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that IMA has limitation in detecting myocardial ischemia during symptom-limited exercise stress tests.
Kim
June Hong
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
Choi
Jae Hoon
JH
Lee
Hyun-Kook
HK
Bae
Woo Hyung
WH
Chun
Kook-Jin
KJ
Kim
Yun Seong
YS
Lee
Sang Kwon
SK
Kim
Hyung Hoi
HH
Hong
Taek Jong
TJ
Shin
Yong Woo
YW
D000368:Aged; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D002637:Chest Pain; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects
D000418:Albumins; D019344:Lactic Acid
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