Avaliação da ligação da albumina humana ao níquel e sua potencial aplicação na detecção da isquemia cardíaca

Abstract

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is characterized by the occurrence of a set of signs and symptoms that are related to myocardial ischemia. Unstable angina (UA) and acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation (AMI-SST) and without ST segment elevation (AMI-SSST) comprise this syndrome. It stands out among the diseases that affect the cardiovascular system due to its high prevalence and its impact on mortality in the general population. Its formation occurs due to rupture or erosion of atheromatous plaque, producing progressive tissue ischemia. This ischemia may progress to necrosis of the cardiomyocytes and changes could be detected by laboratory biomarkers. The gold standard biomarkers for the diagnosis of myocardial necrosis are the cardiac troponins I (cTnI) or T (cTnT), which have nearly absolute myocardial specificity and clinical sensitivity, reflecting microscopic areas of myocardial necrosis. However, markers used for the detection of myocardial ischemia during the pre-infarction are potentially the most interesting because they offer the opportunity for early intervention to prevent progression of the infarction. Thus, a biomarker to detect myocardial ischemia in the absence of necrosis would add substantially to the current clinical tools. The main objectives of this study were: (a) to evaluate the binding of albumin to nickel in patients with suspected ACS and develop a laboratory method based on this property capable of detecting cardiac ischemia, (b) develop a test protocol on the binding of albumin to nickel adapted to the automated Cobas Mira, (c) to investigate the diagnostic features of this method in the diagnosis of ACS, and (d) compare the test results of albumin binding to nickel with the albumin cobalt- binding to investigate whether the type of metal used in the test interferes with the diagnostic features of the method. Patients with myocardial ischemia showed a reduction in the capacity of binding albumin to nickel. A test, which was adapted for the automated Cobas Mira, was developed to detect this change. The binding test of albumin to nickel showed a potential role in excluding the diagnosis of AMI and was effective in the diagnosis of ACS because of its significant negative and positive predictive values, respectively. The test using nickel showed a slightly higher skill in the diagnosis of ACS than the test using cobalt. Thus, we could conclude that the type of metal (nickel or cobalt) influences the characteristics of the diagnostic test.