Introduction: The determination of inflammation markers in circulation has enabled an important improvement in the study of cardiovascular diseases. It was tested the hypothesis that non-specific markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen may provide prognostic information in patients with acute myocardial infarction with persistent ST-segment elevation (STEMI) undergoing primary angioplasty (PCI).
Patients: A cohort of 197 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI was enrolled, evaluating during hospitalization, the peak values of the following markers of inflammation: ESR, CRP and fibrinogen. A telephone follow-up has been made in order to investigate any possible new cardiovascular events after hospital discharge and the procedure performed.
Results: Higher values of CRP were statistically associated with adverse future events as composite endpoint and with the single endpoint of death. Furthermore, higher age, presence of hypertension, history of previous cardiovascular events, were statistically significantly associated with cardiac events at follow up. In this group were also overrepresented subjects with anterior myocardial infarction in the anterior localization and with an EF ? 35% at discharge.
Conclusions: CRP appears to be a predictor of future cardiovascular events, confirming that a pro-inflammatory state promotes the progression of atherosclerotic disease and its complications.