Effect of routine heparins treatment in acute coronary syndrome on serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein a concentration.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) has been suggested as a useful marker of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Serum PAPP-A concentrations are affected by unfractionated heparin (UFH) in ACS population, and we tried to investigate the time profile of effects of routine heparins treatment on serum PAPP-A concentrations in ACS population thoroughly and give advice to sample collection of related study.

METHODS: Twenty cases were involved in this study: ten patients with acute myocardial infarction received subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) twice a day (group A), and the other ten percutaneous coronary intervention patients with stenting received intravenous UFH (group B). Samples were collected before and after heparin administration and serum PAPP-A concentrations were analyzed in these samples.

RESULTS: Serum PAPP-A concentration increased in both group A and B. In group A, PAPP-A concentration elevated gradually (14.5 to 29.4 mIU/L, P<0.05) throughout the observation period and normalized at 48h after drug discontinuation. In group B, there was a rapid and intense increase after intravenous heparin injection (13.1 to 49.3 mIU/L, P<0.05), and a new PAPP-A peak was induced by additional heparin administration.

CONCLUSIONS: Heparins-induced increase in serum PAPP-A concentration lasted until 48h after drug use was discontinued. We recommend that samples from these patients for PAPP-A measurement should be collected at least 48h after the last administration if its not available before the administration of heparins.