Comparative study of high sensitivity troponin T and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in STEMI patients

Abstract Aim and background Heart-type fatty acid-binding proteins (H-FABP) which are detected within 2–3 h of acute myocardial infarction are involved in uptake of free fatty acids in the myocardium. Our aim in the present study is to compare window periods of H-FABP to high sensitivity troponin T (hs-Trop T) in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods 160 STEMI diagnosed patient’s serum samples are analyzed for hs-Trop T and H-FABP. Different window periods of chest pain onset ( 6 h) are compared with complications, in-hospital mortality and statistically analyzed. Results From 160 patients, 53 (33%) cases are presented in 6 h respectively. Accordingly sensitivity of hs-Trop T was 92%, 94% and 97% while H-FABP was 75%, 88% and 84%, respectively. Overall sensitivity was 94% and 82% respectively. Statistically significant difference between mean hs-Trop T values with respect to window period 6 h was 0.21, 0.35 and 0.80 ng/ml respectively, p value  Hs-Trop T positively correlated with age ( r  = 0.153, P  = 0.05), window period ( r  = 0.363, P r  = 0.208, P  = 0.008), ejection fraction ( r  = 0.191, P  = 0.008), serum H-FABP ( r  = 0.229, P  = 0.004), and serum hs-CRP ( r  = 0.326, p p  = 0.008). No significant correlation to age, TIMI score, ejection fraction and hs-CRP values for H-FABP was observed. Conclusion It appears that hs-Trop T is a more sensitive marker than H-FABP in early hours of AMI and higher hs-Trop T predicts increase in-hospital mortality.