Pentraxin 3, long expression in mononuclear cells of patients with acute coronary syndrome: Correlation with C-reactive protein and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels.

Objectives: To investigate expression of pentraxin 3, long (PTX3) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and its correlation with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Methods: Patients with ACS were randomly assigned to the ACS group (subdivided into unstable angina pectoris [UAP] and acute myocardial infarction [AMI]). Healthy participants and patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) were enrolled as controls. Mononuclear cell PTX3 expression, and serum MMP-9 and CRP levels, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The ACS group comprised 200 patients (80 in the UAP subgroup; 120 in the AMI subgroup). The control group comprised 130 participants (80 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with SAP). PTX3 expression was significantly higher in the ACS group compared with controls (3.64 +/- 0.49 versus 1.85 +/- 0.65 ng/ml), and significantly higher in the AMI compared with the UAP subgroup (5.44 +/- 0.47 versus 3.39 +/- 0.59 ng/ml). Serum MMP-9 and CRP levels were significantly higher in the ACS group compared with controls (48.55 +/- 14.22 versus 23.14 +/- 0.62 ng/ml; 4.88 +/- 1.76 versus 1.26 +/- 0.19 ng/ml, respectively), and significantly higher in the AMI compared with the UAP subgroup (58.13 +/- 7.24 versus 31.77 +/- 3.61 ng/ml; 5.80 +/- 1.46 versus 3.27 +/- 0.83 ng/ml, respectively). PTX3 expression, and MMP-9 and CRP levels in the SAP subgroup, were not significantly different from the healthy participants. PTX3 expression positively correlated with MMP-9 and CRP levels. Conclusions: In patients with ACS, peripheral blood mononuclear cell PTX3 expression, and serum MMP-9 and CRP levels, were significantly enhanced compared with controls; in addition, PTX3 expression positively correlated with MMP-9 and CRP levels. PTX3 may be involved in ACS pathogenesis.