Plasma Exosome Profile in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients with and without Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

• Main Authors: Marta Zarà, Jeness Campodonico, Nicola Cosentino, Maria Luisa Biondi, Patrizia Amadio, Gloria Milanesi, Emilio Assanelli, Silvia Cerri, Marco Biggiogera, Leonardo Sandrini, Calogero Claudio Tedesco, Fabrizio Veglia, Daniela Trabattoni, Fabio Blandini, Elena Tremoli, Giancarlo Marenzi, Silvia S. Barbieri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: exosomes; ST-elevation myocardial infarction; resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; platelets; brain-associated marker
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/15/8065
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

The identification of new biomarkers allowing an early and more accurate characterization of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still needed, and exosomes represent an attractive diagnostic tool in this context. However, the characterization of their protein cargo in relation to cardiovascular clinical manifestation is still lacking. To this end, 35 STEMI patients (17 experiencing resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA-STEMI) and 18 uncomplicated) and 32 patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) were enrolled. Plasma exosomes were characterized by the nanoparticle tracking analysis and Western blotting. Exosomes from STEMI patients displayed a higher concentration and size and a greater expression of platelet (GPIIb) and vascular endothelial (VE-cadherin) markers, but a similar amount of cardiac troponin compared to CCS. In addition, a difference in exosome expression of acute-phase proteins (ceruloplasmin, transthyretin and fibronectin) between STEMI and CCS patients was found. GPIIb and brain-associated marker PLP1 accurately discriminated between OHCA and uncomplicated STEMI. In conclusion, the exosome profile of STEMI patients has peculiar features that differentiate it from that of CCS patients, reflecting the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in STEMI. Additionally, the exosome expression of brain- and platelet-specific markers might allow the identification of patients experiencing ischemic brain injury in STEMI.