title: Thymosin beta4 levels after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thymosin beta4 (Tβ4) has been shown to have an important role in healing of damaged tissues and promoting cardiomyocyte survival in acute coronary syndromes. We evaluated endogenous Tβ4 levels in patients presenting with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) before and after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 24 consecutive patients (7 females, 17 males; mean age 55.0±10.9 years) who underwent successful primary PCI for STEMI and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (13 females, 11 males; mean age 57.5±11.7 years) with angiographically normal coronary arteries. To determine Tβ4 levels, blood samples were obtained from STEMI patients on admission and 48 hours after successful PCI, and from controls immediately after coronary angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to controls, baseline levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (46.2±8.9 vs. 34.2±7.2 mg/dl, p<0.001) and Tβ4 (2.9±1.5 vs. 1.5±1.0 µg/ml, p<0.001) were significantly lower, and white blood cell counts (7.6±2.2 vs. 11.4±3.0 10³/µl, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the STEMI group. After 48 hours of PCI, the mean Tβ4 level increased significantly to 2.3±0.8 µg/ml (p<0.001) and became similar to that of the control group (p=0.068). There was a significant negative correlation between serum Tβ4 and white blood cell count (r=-0.347, p=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the significant increase in serum Tβ4 levels following successful primary PCI in patients with STEMI, Tβ4 may prove to be a new marker in the assessment of reperfusion success in addition to those used currently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asuman Biçer
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Yeşilay
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karakurt
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akdemir
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.forename: Sadık
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Açıkel
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karasu
authors.forename: Münevver
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarı
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balcı
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aksoy
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013947:Thymosin / Q000097:blood*; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D013947:Thymosin; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)