Combining anatomical and biochemical markers in the detection and risk stratification of coronary artery disease

Miriam Albus; Tobias Zimmermann; Daniela Median; Klara Rumora; Ganna Isayeva; Melissa Amrein; Ibrahim Schaefer; Joan Walter; Evita Michel; Gabrielle Huré; Ivo Strebel; Federico Caobelli; Philip Haaf; Simon M Frey; Christian Mueller; Michael J Zellweger

doi:10.1093/ehjci/jeae093

Combining anatomical and biochemical markers in the detection and risk stratification of coronary artery disease

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024 Apr 9:jeae093. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeae093. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Miriam Albus^{1

2}, Tobias Zimmermann^{1

3}, Daniela Median¹, Klara Rumora¹, Ganna Isayeva¹, Melissa Amrein¹, Ibrahim Schaefer^{1

2}, Joan Walter^{1

4}, Evita Michel¹, Gabrielle Huré¹, Ivo Strebel¹, Federico Caobelli⁵, Philip Haaf¹, Simon M Frey¹, Christian Mueller¹, Michael J Zellweger¹

Affiliations

¹ Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB) and Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.
² Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.
³ Departement of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel.
⁴ Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Switzerland Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.

PMID: 38591997
DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jeae093

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to test the hypothesis if combining coronary artery calcium score (Ca-score) as a quantitative anatomical marker of coronary atherosclerosis with high-sensitive cardiac troponin as a quantitative biochemical marker of myocardial injury provided incremental value in the detection of functional relevant CAD (fCAD) and risk stratification.

Methods and results: Consecutive patients undergoing myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) without prior CAD were enrolled. The diagnosis of fCAD was based on the presence of ischemia on MPS and coronary angiography- fCAD was centrally adjudicated in the diagnostic and prognostic domain. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using the area under receiver-operating characteristic curve. The composite of cardiovascular death and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) within 730 days were the primary prognostic endpoints.Among 1715 patients eligible for the diagnostic analysis, 399 patients had fCAD. The combination of Ca-Score and hs-cTnT had good diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of fCAD, AUC 0.79 (95 % CI 0.77-0.81), but no incremental value compared to the Ca-score alone (AUC 0.79 (95%CI 0.77-0.81, p=0.965). Similar results were observed using hs-cTnI (AUC 0.80, 95%CI 0.77-0.82) instead of hs-cTnT.Among 1709 patients (99.7%) with available follow-up, 59 patients (3.5%) suffered the composite primary prognostic endpoint (nonfatal AMI n=34, CV death n=28).Both, Ca-score and hs-cTnT had independent prognostic value. Increased risk was restricted to patients with elevation in both markers.

Conclusion: The combination of the Ca-score with hs-cTnT increases the prognostic accuracy for future events defining fCAD, but does not provide incremental value versus the Ca-Score alone for the diagnosis of fCAD.

Keywords: 21 myocardial ischemia; Agatston Score; Coronary artery disease; calcium score; high-sensitive cardiac Troponin; myocardial perfusion SPECT; prognosis.