Quantification of Endothelial Microparticles on Modified Cytometric Bead Assay and Prognosis in Chest Pain Patients

Background: Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are vehicles released from activated or apoptotic endothelium. The aim of this study was to establish a new cytometric bead assay for EMPs and investigate the prognostic value of EMPs in chest pain patients. Methods and Results: We invented and verified the cytometric bead assay to quantify EMP level in vitro. A total of 80 healthy volunteers and 350 chest pain patients were recruited and the EMPs measured. The major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of documented coronary artery disease patients were recorded in the follow-up period. The level of EMPs statistically correlated with those of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in vitro. The EMP level in healthy subjects was