Diagnostic performance of heart-type fatty acid binding protein and high sensitive-cardiac troponin in patients in an emergency department suspected of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) also referred to as mammary-derived growth inhibitor is a polypeptide structure that in humans transcribed by FABP3 gene. It is preferred to be investigated in combination with troponin to the diagnosis of myocardial infarction in patients suffering from chest pain. This study aims to evaluate the role of H-FABP in early diagnosis of MI in comparison with new generation cardiac troponin (hs-c'Tn) and to differentiate patients with ischemic chest pain from non-ischemic ones. This case-control study was performed at the Department of Biochemistry, Medical school, University of Baghdad, during the period from December 2017 to August 2018. It involved 36 patients presented with chest pain; 18 ischemic patients (AMI) and 18 non-ischemic patients (non-AMI) who served as pathological control. Serum investigations included measurements of FABP and hs-c'I'n using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The mean (±SD) value of serum FABP levels at 1-3 hours did not differ significantly between ischemic and non-ischemic subjects, while it was significantly increased at 6-9 hours in ischemic patients (p< 0.001). However, the mean value of serum levels of hs-c'I'n was significantly higher in AMI patients than in non-AMI ones at 1-3 hours (p<O.0. 04) and 6-9 hours (u<O.o. m). The results concluded that serum hs-c'Tn still the best biochemical marker in confirming the diagnosis of early acute MI and is superior of H-FABP in the rule in and rule out of MI.