Soluble ST2 in acute pulmonary embolism

Abstract

Abstract Purpose ST2 is a member of the IL-1 superfamily. It consists of two components, ST2L, which is the membrane form, and sST2, which is soluble in blood. Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a cardiovascular injury–related biomarker. sST2 is also secreted in response to myocyte and fibroblast mechanical tension and has prognostic value for heart failure. Moreover, biopsy studies have shown that the alveoli are the main source of serum sST2. The extent to which sST2 is elevated in Acute Pulmonary embolism and whether sST2 can discriminate between high-risk and low-risk patients are unknown. Methods Patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by Pulmonary CT Angiography were included in the study. Except for pulmonary embolism, other diseases causing sST2 elevation were excluded. Echocardiographic pulmonary artery pressure, CBC, creatinine, CRP, sST2, and d-dimer tests were performed on the patients and the control group at the time of admission. Results After pre-assessment, 66 patients were included and 62 in the control group, met the study criteria. sST2 levels were positively correlated with the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI). sST2 level was associated with increased mortality and prolonged hospitalization (P<0.05). Moreover, sST2 is a sensitive biomarker as D-dimer and a better prognostic predictor than D-dimer. Conclusions Among patients with diagnosed acute pulmonary embolism sST2 showed the superior overall prognostic performance to D-dimer. sST2 might be a useful marker in predicting high-risk patients for Acute PE in the emergency department.