Markers of plaque instability in the early diagnosis and risk stratification of acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Plaque erosion and plaque rupture occur early in the pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We hypothesized that markers of plaque instability might be useful in the early diagnosis and risk stratification of AMI.

Methods: In this multicenter study, we examined 4 markers of plaque instability, myeloperoxidase (MPO), myeloid-related protein 8/14 (MRP-8/14), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 398 consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest pain and compared them to normal and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cTnT and hs-cTnT).