title: The impact of admission procalcitonin on prognosis in acute coronary syndromes: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Available evidence on the prognostic role of procalcitonin levels in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is so far controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between procalcitonin, major cardiovascular events (MACE) and total mortality in acute coronary syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Procalcitonin levels were measured in 247 patients admitted to our Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) with ACS. Three subgroups were considered according to procalcitonin levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At Cox regression analysis, procalcitonin levels were both an unadjusted and an adjusted predictor (corrected for diagnosis and TnI) of intra-ICCU mortality and of 1-year follow-up MACE and total mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ACS, admission procalcitonin values identify a "higher risk" group of patients for short and long-term mortality.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy. claudx@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Picariello
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lazzeri
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Attanà
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiostri
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gensini
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valente
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D019210:Troponin I; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide