Resistin and prooxidant-antioxidant balance: Markers to discriminate acute coronary syndrome from stable angina

BACKGROUND: Resistin and oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD) including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of serum resistin and prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in ACS occurrence in order to differentiate it from stable angina. Moreover, we aimed to determine the correlation between resistin and PAB in patients with ACS and its difference from patients with stable CHD. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on 50 patients with ACS and 50 patients with stable CHD who underwent coronary angiography (CAG). Serum resistin level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PAB and other variables were analyzed using standard methods. RESULTS: A significant increase in serum resistin and PAB was observed in patients with ACS (2.55 ± 0.13 ng/ml and 123.5 ± 5.58 HK unit, respectively) compared to patients with stable CHD (1.53 ± 0.12 ng/ml and 95.9 ± 2.7 HK unit, respectively) (P < 0.001). In addition, a significant positive correlation was seen between serum resistin and PAB in patients with ACS (r = 0.39; P = 0.005), but this correlation was not found in patients with stable CHD (r = 0.21; P = 0.140). Resistin (r = 0.52; P < 0.001) and PAB (r = 0.55; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with ACS, but this association was not found in patients with stable CHD (resistin: r = 0.24; P = 0.090; PAB: r = -0.02: P = 0.910). CONCLUSION: High serum resistin or PAB levels, and their association with the occurrence of ACS, can be used as a robust discriminating factor to differentiate ACS from stable CHD.