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Plasma beta-globin DNA as a prognostic marker in chest pain patients
Timothy H Rainer1, Nicole Y L Lam, C Y Man
1Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, Hong Kong SAR.
Insights
Elevated plasma DNA levels indicate a higher risk of adverse outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. This finding suggests plasma DNA is a valuable prognostic marker for complications following ACS.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) can lead to cell death and the release of nucleic acids into circulation.
- Investigated plasma DNA concentrations and their prognostic value in ACS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if plasma DNA concentrations are elevated in ACS patients.
- To assess the prognostic significance of plasma DNA for adverse outcomes post-ACS.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to measure beta-globin gene in plasma DNA.
- Analysis of blood samples from 58 chest pain patients and 21 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Plasma DNA concentrations were significantly higher in ACS patients compared to controls.
- Elevated DNA levels correlated with increased risk of mortality, heart failure, reinfarction, cardiac arrest, and hospital readmission within 6 months.
Conclusions:
- Plasma DNA serves as a potential prognostic biomarker for adverse events following acute coronary syndrome.
- Higher plasma DNA levels are associated with poorer patient outcomes and complications.
Background:
Acute coronary syndrome may involve cell death and the release of nucleic acids into the circulation. We thus investigated whether plasma DNA concentrations are increased and determined its prognostic significance in patients with ACS.
Methods:
Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantitatively measure the beta-globin gene from blood samples taken from patients presenting to an emergency department with chest pain of probable cardiac cause.
Results:
Samples from 58 patients with chest pain, and from 21 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were analysed. Compared with the control group, median plasma DNA concentrations were increased 1.5-fold in patients with minor cardiac injury, were increased further in patients with STEA and STEMI, and were the highest in those patients who died within 2 years (P=0.0005; post-hoc Dunn's, P<0.05). Median plasma DNA concentrations were higher in patients who later developed heart failure (1060 vs. 500 kGE/l; P=0.0095); higher in patients who later reinfarcted (1000 vs. 530 kGE/l; P=0.0298); higher in patients who had a cardiac arrest in that admission (1350 vs. 525 kGE/l; P=0.04); and were higher in patients who were readmitted within 6 months of discharge (725 vs. 475 kGE/l; P=0.04).
Conclusion:
Plasma DNA is a potential marker for post-ACS complications.
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