Arginase Activity as a Useful Cardiac Marker for Differential Diagnosis of UA and MI: A Pilot Study

Aims: The present study was undertaken to find the levels of aspartate transaminases (AST), creatine kinase (CK-MB) and arginase in serum sample of patients under study and check effectiveness of arginase as a marker in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to find the correlation between AST and CK-MB with arginase in unstable angina (UA) and myocardial infarction (MI).

Study Design: Case control study carried out at department of Biochemistry, B. J. Medical College Pune, Maharashtra, India, between Sept 2011-Dec 2013.

Methodology: The study comprised of clinically diagnosed 60 patients: 30 of UA and 30 of MI. Age and sex matched 30 patients were studied as controls. Blood sample were collected from individual under study, serum was separated and used to estimate levels of CK-MB, AST and arginase.

Results: The levels of AST, CK-MB and arginase were estimated and the results were compared with that of control. The levels of arginase were elevated significantly (P<0.001) like AST and CK-MB in patients with MI as compared to UA. In the study there was no correlation observed between CK-MB and arginase in patients of UA or controls. The same was true with the levels of AST and arginase. On the other hand a strong positive correlation was found between CK-MB and AST with arginase in MI patients.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that like AST and CK-MB, arginase also increases with progression of ACS. Thus arginase can be used as sensitive marker to differentiate between UA and MI.