[Ischemia modified albumin--specific marker in cardiological diagnostics?].

Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) is a new biological marker for early identification of chest pain and ruling out myocardial infarction among patients with acute syndromes submitting to emergency department. Recently IMA has been investigated in the light of other cardiac markers (cTnT, CK-MBmas, NT-proBNP) in various states of ischemia (acute coronary syndromes, after percutaneous coronary intervention, in coronary vasospasm). Ischemia modified albumin levels were elevated in these states what suggests myocardial ischemia. However decrease in IMA concentration after exercise-induced skeletal muscle ischemia still remains unclear. Increased IMA concentration in patients with acute ischemic stroke and exposed to trauma limits its ability for detection myocardial ischemia. Specificity of IMA measurement is limited also in patients with peripheral vascular disease, systemic sclerosis, diabetes, end stage renal disease, pulmonary embolism and other pathological states with accompanying oxidative stress.