13^th European Cardiology Conference

Biography

Biography: Pablo Avanzas

Abstract

Increasingly, cardiac biomarkers have provided important information in predicting short-term and long-term risk pro les in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), particularly when they are used in combination. Among the numerous biomarkers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has received widespread interest and a large database has been accumulated on their potential role as predictor of cardiovascular events. Macrophage activation, as shown by elevated levels of neopterin and GDF-15 (Growth diferentiation factor-15), has a key role in all phases of the atherothrombotic process. Neopterin is a pteridine that modulates intracellular redox state (NOS) and activates the expression of proinflammatory genes. Evidence gathered in recent years indicate that neopterin may be a useful tool in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in both apparently healthy subjects and patients with stable and unstable coronary artery disease. GDF-15 is one of more than 40 members of the transforming growth factor-𝛽 superfamily and it was originally identified in activated macrophages. Accumulating evidence indicate that circulating levels of GDF-15 are associated with the risk of death and myocardial infarction, independent of clinical variables and other biomarkers, including hsCRP and cardiac troponins.