Evaluation of Endothelial and Platelet Derived Microparticles in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Microparticles (MP) are a nuclear fragments of membrane released by the damaged cell during stress. Elevated levels of MP have been found in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) owing to the damage in the endothelium. To determine if the levels of endothelial and platelet microparticles (EMP & PMP) in patients with ACS influenced the severity of the disease. This was a prospective cohort study performed in 63 ACS patients (ST elevation myocardial infarction- STEMI-28, non ST elevation myocardial infarction -NSTEMI-35). After obtaining consent, blood samples were collected from the patients and processed by flow cytometry. The NSTEMI group had higher levels of EMP {792.11(327.59-1661.49) vs 300.35 (176.3-550.46), p=0.001} and PMP {218.87(86.65-439.77) vs 114.45(50.34-196.75), p= 0.007} as compared to the STEMI group. However, it was found that the EMP (r=-0.438, p=0.001) and PMP (r= -0.316, p=0.024) negatively correlated with Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score (GRACE in-hospital score) for the entire cohort. The levels of microparticles are elevated in ACS patients and may reflect a protective effect in patients with acute coronary syndrome.