2.2.1 Myeloperoxidase
There is strong evidence that circulating markers of inflammation are closely associated with the development of subsequent cardiovascular events. MPO, an enzyme released from activated neutrophiles and monocytes as a result of inflammation, has in several studies been used as a marker for coronary artery disease (CAD). In a study by Ndrepepa and coworkers at the German Heart Center in Munich, Germany, MPO levels were not only found to be elevated in CAD patients, but also to be increased with the severity of CAD. Since MPO was also shown to have a stronger correlation to acute coronary syndromes (ACS) than CRP, the authors hypothesize that MPO may have a direct involvement in plaque destabilization. Baldus and colleagues at the University of Hamburg, Germany support this hypothesis and suggest that MPO might serve as both a marker and mediator of vascular inflammation in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
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