title: Usefulness of myocardial necrosis triad markers for predicting 4-year mortality in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac troponins (cTn), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), myoglobin (MYO) are commonly used biochemical markers for risk stratification and diagnosis in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of the study was to analyse the prognostic implications of 3 myocardial necrosis markers measured at admission in the long-term observation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 336 consecutive patients whose concentration of cTnl, CK-MB and MYO were measured at admission. Patients were categorized into 4 groups according to the number of positive myocardial necrosis markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in the mean marker levels with increasing numbers of positive markers (over upper normal range): cTnl (0.02 +/- 0.06; 0.7 +/- 1.9; 3.4 +/- 8.8; 5.1 +/- 9.2 ng/ml; P < 0.001), CK-MB (1.3 +/- 1.1; 3.3 +/- 3.9; 21.9 +/- 39.4; 37.5 +/- 48.4 ng/ml; P < 0.001), MYO (39.4 +/- 16.5; 94.5 +/- 91; 202.2 +/- 172.2; 320.3 +/- 234.3 ng/ml; P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant increase in the 4-year all-cause mortality with increasing numbers of positive markers; P value for trend < 0.0001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All 3 marker levels at admission may be an important addition to the risk stratification of patients with suspected ACS and a potentially important target for therapy. They have prognostic implications in the long-term observation of patients with chest pain and suspected ACS.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. f.szymanski@post.pl
authors.forename: Filip M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Szymański
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hrynkiewicz
authors.forename: Krzysztof J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Filipiak
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karpiński
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opolski
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood; D009336:Necrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D019209:Troponin C / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009211:Myoglobin; D019209:Troponin C; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form