Discussion on the correlation of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A with acute coronary syndrome

Objective To explore the significance of levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods The circulating levels of PAPP-A, CRP, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, CK, CK-MB and CTnI in 25 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, 20 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients, 20 stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients and 20 health controls were determined. Results The level of PAPP-A was significantly higher in ACS patients than that in health controls (P0.01), and it was significantly higher in AMI and UAP groups compared with SAP group. There was obvious correlation between the level of PAPP-A and the level of CRP, but there was no correlation between PAPP-A and TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, CK, CK-MB, CTnI. Conclusion High PAPP-A level in ACS patients indicates that PAPP-A is associated with the stability of the plaque in coronary artery. As a sensitive marker, PAPP-A may be very important for early diagnosis of ACS.