Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0008031 (chest pain)
 17,248 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We sought to determine plasma levels of platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), P-selectin, and platelet-derived osteonectin, and prospectively compare these data with the discharge diagnosis in patients presenting with chest pain in a community hospital Emergency Department. Soluble antigens were measured by ELISA in 44 subjects including patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n = 13), chest pain of noncardiac origin (n = 17), and compared to those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 14). Elevated soluble PECAM-1 (64.5 +/- 18.3 ng/ml, p = 0.019), but not P-selectin (149.5 +/- 49.8 ng/ml, p = NS), nor osteonectin (549. 5 +/- 159.1 ng/ml, p = NS), occurred in the AMI group as compared to patients with noncardiac chest pain (46.2 +/- 7.5 ng/ml, 118.2 +/- 40.1 ng/ml, and 619.4 +/- 74.4 ng/ml, respectively). Increased plasma PECAM-1 may serve as a useful marker in the early detection of patients with AMI. Larger studies will be necessary to confirm the utility of soluble PECAM-1 in identifying AMI among patients presenting with chest pain.
 ...
PMID:Soluble PECAM-1, but not P-selectin, nor osteonectin identify acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with chest pain. 1039 98

Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is characterized by allergic rhinitis, asthma and prominent blood and tissue eosinophilia. Although CSS can affect any organ system, isolated cardiac manifestation is a rare feature that is often characterized by rapidly progressive congestive heart failure. We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with acute dyspnoea and chest pain. Her past medical history was significant for asthma and frequently relapsing minimal-change glomerulonephritis. Echocardiogram and coronary angiography revealed cardiomyopathy and coronary small-vessel vasculitis in the presence of blood eosinophilia and elevated IgE. In the absence of infective agents, neoplastic diseases and further vasculitic manifestations, a flow cytometry-based analysis of markedly elevated endothelial microparticles supported the diagnosis of CSS. Cardiomyopathy resolved completely after initiation of immunosuppressive treatment with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide pulses. Elevated endothelial, leukocytic and platelet-derived microparticles decreased during follow-up and closely paralleled vasculitic activity. Endothelial microparticles might be an additional tool to diagnose and monitor cases of suspected vasculitic cardiac involvement in CSS.
 ...
PMID:Endothelial microparticles as a diagnostic aid in Churg-Strauss vasculitis-induced cardiomyopathy. 1879 61

Serum has been considered an unsuitable medium for measurements of circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) since platelets release significant quantities of VEGF during clotting. Nevertheless, the assessment of platelet-derived VEGF may be important in patients with acute coronary syndromes characterized by intraluminal thrombosis. The present study aimed at identifying the factors that impact on the interpretation of serum VEGF concentrations in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). VEGF was measured in 106 patients with STEMI and correlated with clinical and angiographic parameters. Serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with STEMI than in healthy controls. Although the average number of platelets did not differ between the groups, the patients with STEMI, but not the controls, exhibited a significant correlation between serum VEGF levels and platelet counts. Stratification of patients according to different criteria revealed that VEGF concentrations were particularly elevated shortly (<3h) after the onset of chest pain in those patients who had occluding thrombi graded as large (3-4) on a TIMI scale. These data demonstrate that high levels of serum VEGF detected early in the course of STEMI may derive from activated platelets and may characterize patients with extensive intracoronary thrombosis.
 ...
PMID:Interpretation of elevated serum VEGF concentrations in patients with myocardial infarction. 2128 65