Carbohydrate antigen-125: additional accuracy in identifying patients at risk of acute heart failure in acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate levels of carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), with regard to incidence of acute heart failure (AHF) and levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).

METHODS

In 47 consecutive patients with ACS, circulating levels of CA-125 and BNP were ascertained in the first 24 h and after 3 days of hospitalization. Left ventricular function and in-hospital incidence of AHF were also evaluated.

RESULTS

BNP and CA-125 levels were significantly higher in patients with pulmonary oedema (PO) (564.25+/-500.50 vs. 258.57+/-284.81 pg/ml, P<0.05; 51.78+/-54.71 vs. 13.78+/-12.01 UI/ml, P<0.001) proportionally to Killip class (r=0.44, r=0.47; P<0.01) and were related to LV end-diastolic dimension (r=0.47, P<0.01; r=0.66, P<0.001) and LV ejection fraction (r=-0.63, P<0.001; r=-0.37, P<0.01). CA-125 levels identified patients with PO with higher specificity (97.1 vs. 31.4%), positive predictive value (83.3 vs. 33.3%) and accuracy (83.0 vs. 48.9%) when compared with BNP.

CONCLUSIONS

CA-125 levels are increased in patients with ACS and systolic dysfunction or AHF. Patients with PO are better identified by combined BNP and CA-125 assay rather than by only BNP.