The predictive value of procalcitonin in the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome

Abstract

Aim: the study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Materials and Methods: two hundred patients with ACS who applied to the emergency department due to chest pain and were hospitalized into the cardiology clinic of our hospital between January 2014 and December 2016 were included in this cross-sectional cohort study. The patients were divided into four groups based on their diagnosis. The first group was inferior myocardial infarction (MI), the second group was anterior MI, the third group was non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI), and the fourth group was high-risk unstable angina (UA). These groups were compared according to PCT, age, gender, left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac troponin (cTn) I, three-vessel disease (TVD), and mortality rate. Results: there were statistically significant differences between ACS groups concerning PCT values. PCT level was significantly higher in inferior MI than in anterior MI, NSTEMI, and UA groups. There were statistically significant differences between cTn positivity checked at 0th, 6th, and 12th hours and ischemic heart failure after MI as well as between mortality and TVD. TVD and mortality were found to be significantly higher in the inferior MI group than the other subgroups. Ischemic heart failure was found to be statistically higher in anterior subgroup than the other subgroups. Conclusion: increased PCT level may be a marker that can be used in indicating ACS and its prognosis.