Cystatin C and risk of mortality among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: We tested the prognostic value of cystatin C in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent percutaneous coronary artery intervention (PCI). We also tested the hypothesis that the incremental predictive value of cystatin C on all-cause mortality was superior to that of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula.

Methods And Results: Included in the study were 2,757 patients (mean age 63 years, 77% men).

Diagnosis of acute aortic dissection by D-dimer: the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection Substudy on Biomarkers (IRAD-Bio) experience.

Background: D-dimer has been reported to be elevated in acute aortic dissection. Potential use as a "rule-out" marker has been suggested, but concerns remain given that it is elevated in other acute chest diseases, including pulmonary embolism and ischemic heart disease. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of D-dimer testing in a study population of patients with suspected aortic dissection.

Preliminary experience with the smooth muscle troponin-like protein, calponin, as a novel biomarker for diagnosing acute aortic dissection.

Aims: The early diagnosis of acute aortic dissection (AD) remains challenging. We sought to determine the utility of the troponin-like protein of smooth muscle, calponin, as a diagnostic biomarker of acute AD.

Methods And Results: Immunoassays against calponin (acidic, basic, and neutral isoforms) were developed and the levels were compared in a convenience sample of 59 patients with radiographically proven AD [34 males, age 59 +/- 15 (SD) years] vs.