Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 associated with microvascular obstruction in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Microvascular obstruction (MVO) develops in approximately 50% of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). MVO is strongly linked to inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, and adverse clinical outcomes. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) serves as a biomarker for inflammation and myocardial fibrosis. Yet, the correlation between sST2 and MVO in STEMI patients has not been fully elucidated. This study attempts to evaluate the association between sST2 levels and MVO in STEMI patients following pPCI. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 315 STEMI patients who underwent pPCI at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between June 2018 and August 2023 were included. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) was used to assess the characteristics of myocardial infarction and microvascular obstruction (MVO), while sST2 levels were measured upon admission. RESULTS: The median time for completion of CMR after hospitalization was 5 (4, 6) days. Multivariate regression analysis showed that sST2 (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02, p < 0.001), peak high-sensitivity troponin T (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.66-3.47, p < 0.001), peak high-C-reactive protein (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02, p < 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89- 0.98, p = 0.009) and age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01- 1.05, p = 0.042)were independently associated with MVO. CONCLUSION: sST2 is associated with MVO after pPCI in STEMI patients. Incorporating soluble ST2 (sST2) into the risk model for MVO leads to significant improvement.