Follow-up of prostaglandin plasma levels after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Prostaglandin plasma levels are elevated in patients with transient myocardial ischemia. We measured 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α (6-keto-PGF 1α ) and thromboxane (B 2 (TXB 2 ) in venous blood of 32 patients with myocardial infarction on the first, third, and seventh days. TXB 2 and 6-keto-PGF 1α levels in these patients (up to 117 ± 237 pg/ml and 96 ± 105 pg/ml mean ± SD, respectively) differed significantly from levels in normal control subjects (10 ± 12 pg/ml and 4 ± 7 pg/ml mean ± SD, respectively) ( p 1α levels prevailed over those of TXB 2 . In a subgroup suffering from cardiac arrhythmias, the ratio of 6-keto-PGF1αTXB2 was inverse. It is concluded that prostaglandin generation is increased for at least 7 days after myocardial infarction. A disturbed ratio of 6-keto-PGF1αTXB2 in favor of the latter might be associated with cardiac arrhythmias in myocardial infarction.