摘要
The term vulnerable patient has been proposed to define subjects susceptible to an acutecoronary syndrome （ACS） or sudden cardiac death based on plaque characteristics, blood abnormalities, or myocardial vulnerability. 1 It will be important in the future to identify both vulnerable patients and vulnerable plaques. Atherosclerotic arteries obtained at autopsy from patients who died suddenly of cardiac causes indicate that pregnancyassociated plasma protein-A （ PAPP-A ） was abundantly expressed in plaque cells and in the extracellular matrix of ruptured and eroded unstable plaques, but not in stable plaques. Here we examined circulating PAPP-A levels in patients with ACS in order to evaluate its potential use in identifying vulnerable patients.
The term vulnerable patient has been proposed to define subjects susceptible to an acutecoronary syndrome （ACS） or sudden cardiac death based on plaque characteristics, blood abnormalities, or myocardial vulnerability. 1 It will be important in the future to identify both vulnerable patients and vulnerable plaques. Atherosclerotic arteries obtained at autopsy from patients who died suddenly of cardiac causes indicate that pregnancyassociated plasma protein-A （ PAPP-A ） was abundantly expressed in plaque cells and in the extracellular matrix of ruptured and eroded unstable plaques, but not in stable plaques. Here we examined circulating PAPP-A levels in patients with ACS in order to evaluate its potential use in identifying vulnerable patients.
