Erythropoietin in patients with acute coronary syndrome and its cardioprotective action after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Nakamura R, Takahashi A, Yamada T, Miyai N, Irie H, Kinoshita N, Sawada T, Azuma A, Matsubara H.

Department of Cardiology, Kouseikai Takeda Hospital, Kyoto, Japan. n_rreo@yahoo.co.jp

BACKGROUND: Erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to have effects beyond hematopoiesis, such as prevention of cardiac apoptosis. The purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of the time-course change in the serum concentration of endogenous EPO on cardiac functions in the chronic phase in patients with acute coronary syndrome, who successfully achieved reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: The prospective study included 34 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease, including 24 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 10 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) who underwent successful PCI within 24 h from the onset. Serum EPO concentration significantly increased at Day 3 and Day 7 compared with that at Day 1 in the AMI group, and the level at Day 3 was significantly higher in the AMI group than in the UAP group. There were significant correlations between DeltaEPO and Delta left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or Delta left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and between peak EPO concentration and DeltaLVEF. CONCLUSIONS: These data showed the time-dependent increase of serum EPO in AMI patients after primary PCI, indicating its possible contribution to cardioprotective effect in the chronic phase.