Objectives: To investigate the changes of serum enzymes and cardiac troponin I (TnI) in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). The relationships between these changes and the pulmonary artery pressure, the right ventricular function and the prognosis were evaluated.
Methods: This prospective multi-centre trial included 519 patients with confirmed PTE from 24 collaborating hospitals, with 54 cases of massive PTE, 195 sub-massive PTE and 270 non-massive PTE. Thrombolytic treatment with urokinase or recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was administered for massive and sub-massive PTE patients; anti-coagulative therapy with unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin was used for non-massive PTE.
Results: The values of serum ALT, AST, CPK and LDH before treatment in massive PTE [(74 +/- 33), (88 +/- 40), (157 +/- 75), (419 +/- 264) U/L] were significantly higher than those in sub-massive [(52 +/- 21), (43 +/- 18), (75 +/- 30), (284 +/- 176) U/L] and non-massive cases [(38 +/- 13), (35 +/- 11), (78 +/- 24), (239 +/- 178) U/L] (P < 0.05). The value of serum ALT at day 7 (84 +/- 39 U/L) in the unfractionated heparin sub-group of the non-massive PTE was significantly higher than that (67 +/- 26 U/L) in the low molecular weight heparin sub-group (P = 0.045). Of the 45 cases with high pulmonary pressure > 80 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), 24 (54.4%) cases showed high serum LDH (P = 0.032) and 17 (41.5%) high serum ALT (P = 0.049). Of the 169 cases with right ventricular dysfunction, 68 (40.2%) cases showed high serum LDH (P = 0.049) and 76 (45.5%) high serum ALT (P = 0.037). Of the 48 cases with poor prognosis, 15 (30.8%) cases showed high serum LDH (P = 0.039) and 26 (54.5%) high serum ALT (P = 0.022). Of the 39 cases with TnI > or = 0.07 microg/L, 24 (63.3%) cases were complicated with decreased right ventricular function (P < 0.01) and 8 (24.2%) with poor prognosis (P = 0.034).
Conclusions: The values of serum ALT, AST, CPK, LDH and TnI are increased in acute PTE. Unfractionated heparin results in higher levels of ALT than lower molecular weight heparin. The increase of serum ALT, LDH and TnI is correlated with pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular function and the prognosis of the PTE. These changes may be useful in the risk stratification of PTE patients.