Biomarker-assisted diagnosis of acute aortic dissection: how far we have come and what to expect.
OBJECTIVE
Acute aortic dissection is a disease that is often a challenge to diagnose. Early and immediate diagnosis is important for initiation of treatment and improved survival. Despite recent advances in imaging methods to diagnose the disease, biochemical methods are not available.


RESULTS
Biomarkers that might be useful for the biochemical detection of acute aortic dissection have been recently described, such as assays for the circulating proteins, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, creatine kinase BB-isozyme, calponin (smooth muscle troponin) and elastin. C-reactive protein and D-dimer have also been shown to be useful.


CONCLUSIONS
Biomarker-assisted diagnosis of acute aortic dissection would be helpful in detecting this acute catastrophic aortic disease, which still remains a challenge to diagnose. Although recent progress in development of biomarkers has been made, there is no widely accepted strategy. Available biomarkers such as D-dimer may play an assistive role in the meantime.
Suzuki
Toru
T
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. torusuzu-tky@umin.ac.jp
Distante
Alessandro
A
Eagle
Kim
K
D000465:Algorithms; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004549:Elastin / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000096985:Calponins
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004549:Elastin; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000096985:Calponins; C036309:fibrin fragment D