Correlation between baseline immature platelets fraction levels and peak troponin in patients with acute myocardial infarction

INTRODUCTION Elevated peak cardiac troponin levels have been linked with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Immature Platelets are young and relatively large platelets that are hyper-reactive and pro-thrombotic compared to regular platelets. Increased immature platelet fraction (IPF) has been associated with an elevated risk of thrombotic events. We hypothesize that patients with higher IPF levels during AMI, will experience a more severe infarct, leading to elevated peak troponin levels. METHODS Clinical data from patients admitted to the cardiology division between 2018 and 2022, who were diagnosed with AMI and underwent an IPF testing. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of elevated peak troponin. RESULTS Among the 277 patients diagnosed with AMI who underwent IPF testing, 113 had (STEMI) and 164 had (NSTEMI). The median value of IPF of 4.2% was used as the threshold for defining elevated IPF. Notably, among STEMI patients, those with IPF ≥ 4.2% had significantly higher peak troponin levels (P = 0.021). Conversely, no significant difference in peak troponin levels was observed among NSTEMI patients (P = 0.348). Multivariate analysis identified patients with STEMI in the higher IPF group as one of the significant predictors for elevated peak troponin levels. CONCLUSION This study revealed a correlation between higher baseline IPF levels and increased peak troponin levels specifically in STEMI patients, while no such association was found in NSTEMI patients. Incorporating IPF levels above the median into risk stratification scores for STEMI patients may provide valuable support for adopting a more proactive therapeutic approach.