Platelet gene expression profiling of acute myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is primarily due to coronary atherosclerotic plaque rupture and subsequent thrombus formation. Platelets play a key role in the genesis and progression of both atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Since platelets are anuclear cells that inherit their mRNA from megakaryocyte precursors and maintain it unchanged during their life span, gene expression (GE) profiling at the time of an AMI provides information concerning the platelet GE preceding the coronary event. In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a gene-by-gene analysis of the platelet GE identified five differentially expressed genes (DEGs): FKBP5, S100P, SAMSN1, CLEC4E and S100A12. The logistic regression model used to combine the GE in a STEMI vs healthy donors score showed an AUC of 0.95. The same five DEGs were externally validated using platelet GE data from patients with coronary atherosclerosis but without thrombosis. Early signals of an imminent AMI are likely to be found by platelet GE profiling before the infarction occurs. Platelet gene expression profiling in ST-acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, Healthy Donor (HD), coronary artery diseases (SCAD) patients