Acute-Phase Plasma PCSK9 Levels and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events in a Chinese Acute Myocardial Infarction Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a promising target for lowering plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular (CV) disease. Whether plasma PCSK9 measured during the acute phase predicts recurrent CV events in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unresolved.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma PCSK9 levels were measured in 1,646 patients with AMI from the China PEACE-Prospective AMI Study at the acute phase. Additionally, 248 patients were resampled and measured at 1 month post-AMI. Associations of acute-phase PCSK9 tertiles with clinical characteristics and recurrent CV events within 1 year were assessed. Female gender (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.24-3.03), premature coronary heart disease (CHD; OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.37-3.26), higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.44-1.95), and higher triglycerides (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03-2.09) were associated with higher baseline PCSK9. Plasma PCSK9 levels in the highest tertile (versus lowest) did not have an increased risk of 1-year recurrent CV events in the AMI cohort (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.52-1.16) or any subgroup. There was also no association between percentage changes in PCSK9 over the first month and 1-year recurrent events, although there was a trend of differences between patients in the upper versus lower tertiles.

CONCLUSION: Plasma PCSK9 levels measured during the acute phase were associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, triglycerides, premature CHD, and gender in patients with AMI but did not predict recurrent CV events within 1 year. Dynamic changes in PCSK9 suggested a trend yet no significance value in predicting recurrent CV events.