Stratification of ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients based on soluble CD40L longitudinal changes

Involvement of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) in thrombosis and inflammation on the context of coronary artery disease is currently being revised. In that perspective, we had studied the association of sCD40L with markers of platelet activation and markers of endothelial and vascular function. On that cohort, a stratification of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was observed based on concentrations of sCD40L. The study intended to identify the groups of AMI patients with different profiles of sCD40L concentrations and verify how medication, clinical evolution, biochemical data, and markers of regulation of endothelial function at genetic (endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphisms) and post-transcriptional levels (circulating microRNAs) affect sCD40L serum levels. Lower quartiles of sCD40L (<2.3 ng/mL) were associated with higher concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high frequency of G894T polymorphism, and altered expression of a set of microRNAs assumed to be involved in the regulation of endothelial and cardiac function and myocardium hypertrophy, relative to patients in sCD40L upper quartiles. A characteristic sCD40L variation pattern in STEMI patients was identified. Low levels of sCD40L 1 month after PCI distinguish STEMI patients with worse prognosis, a compromised cardiac healing, and a persistent endothelial dysfunction, as given by the association between sCD40L, NT-proBNP, G894T polymorphism, and specific profile of miRNA expression. These results suggest sCD40L could have a prognostic value in STEMI patients.