Korean J Intern Med.  2008 Sep;23(3):121-126. 10.3904/kjim.2008.23.3.121.

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is not useful for detecting myocardial ischemia during symptom-limited exercise stress tests

• Kim JH
• Choi JH
• Lee HK
• Bae WH
• Chun KJ
• Kim YS
• Lee SK
• Kim HH
• Hong TJ
• Shin YW

• KMID: 759968
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2008.23.3.121

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We examined the ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) level during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Forty patients with a history of chest pain underwent both symptom-limited treadmill exercise stress testing and coronary angiography within one week. During the treadmill tests, blood samples were obtained at baseline and 5 min after exercise to measure the serum IMA level. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients, fourteen (35%, CAD group) had significant coronary artery stenosis, while the other 26 (65%, non-CAD group) did not. The baseline and post-exercise IMA levels in the two groups did not differ significantly (105.2+/-7.2 vs. 107.7+/-6.7 U/mL at baseline and 93.1+/-10.1 vs. 94.8+/-5.7 U/mL at post-exercise in the CAD and non-CAD groups, p=0.29 and 0.57, respectively). The changes in IMA after exercise did not differ either (-10.4+/-7.5 vs. -14.0+/-7.6 U/mL in the CAD and non-CAD groups, respectively, p=0.10). Similarly, the change in IMA between the exercise ECG test positive (TMT positive, n=9) and negative (TMT negative, n=20) groups did not differ (-14.63+/-5.19, vs -8.50+/-9.01 U/mL, p=0.15, in the TMT positive and negative groups, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that IMA has limitation in detecting myocardial ischemia during symptom-limited exercise stress tests.

Keyword

Ischemia-modified albumin; Exercise ECG test; Ischemic heart disease

MeSH Terms

Aged
Albumins/*diagnostic use/metabolism
*Chest Pain
Electrocardiography
*Exercise Test/instrumentation
Female
Humans
Lactic Acid/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Myocardial Ischemia/blood/*diagnosis/physiopathology
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