Over 18 years old men and women were enrolled in the study who arrived to 2 of the most acknowledged Hungarian cardiac centres due to acute myocardial infarction and fulfilled all inclusion and exclusion criteria as per protocol. Patients in the order of their arrival were assigned either to control or post conditioned groups by turns. After closing patient enrolment, further subgrouping will be performed in case sufficient group size has been achieved as follows: (1) normal, control, (2) normal, post conditioned, (3) hypercholesterolemic, not treated with statins, control, (4) hypercholesterolemic, not treated with statins, post conditioned, (5) statin treated, control, (6) statin treated, post conditioned.
Characterisation of postconditioning is performed by the following parameters:
- Blood tests 5 minutes before as well as 8, 60 minutes, 24 hours, and 3 months after PCI to measure nitrotyrosine, a biomarker of peroxynitrite formation (nitrosative stress) by ELISA; B-type natriuretic peptide, a biomarker of heart failure by ELISA; matrix metalloproteinase activities (MMP-2 and MMP-9) putative biomarkers of cardiac remodelling by zymography; microRNA expression pattern by sequencing and its validation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Routine laboratory tests 6, 12 and 48 hours after PCI including creatine kinase (CKMB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT).
- ECG immediately after recanalization and intervention after 60 and 90 minutes, then 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours later 12-lead ECG is registered.
- Echocardiography: 48 hours after intervention, standard view to judge left ventricle segments movement disorders
- Angiography: Blush, Syntax score, and ischemic risk zone (area at risk, AAR) are determined
- cardiac late enhancement magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to determine infarct size
At 3-month follow-up visit the following parameters were measured: echocardiography for restitution assessment, cardiac late enhancement MR imaging to determine infarct size and cardiac function, blood sampling for above mentioned biochemical laboratory tests