PhD Dissertation in the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon, discussed the PhD dissertation submitted by graduate student Raghad Faris Hadi Al-Khazraji, titled:
“Evaluating the Diagnostic Value of Irisin and Ghrelin and Their Relationship to Troponin I in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome in Babylon Province.”
The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Mufid Jaleel Awad and Prof. Dr. Hassan Salem Abdul-Sada Al-Jumaili.
The discussion was attended by the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Muhannad Abbass Al-Shalah, the Assistant Dean for Scientific Affairs, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ashraf Muhammad Ali Hussein, and the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Lamees Abdul-Razzaq, along with a group of academic faculty members and postgraduate students.
A letter of appreciation was presented on behalf of the College to the Chair of the Examination Committee, Prof. Dr. Zahraa Muhammad Ali from the College of Science at the University of Mosul, in recognition of her efforts in evaluating the dissertation and for undertaking the travel required to attend the discussion.
During her defense, the researcher explained that the term Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) refers to a group of disorders characterized by a sudden reduction in blood supply to the heart muscle, leading to either ischemia or myocardial infarction. ACS is generally classified into three main types:
1. Unstable Angina, which presents with ischemic symptoms but without myocardial necrosis.
2. ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), resulting from complete occlusion of a coronary artery leading to myocardial necrosis.
3. Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI), caused by partial coronary occlusion leading to cellular injury without significant ST-segment elevation.
The study revealed that men were more affected than women, with male patients accounting for 86.8% compared to 13.2% females. The most affected age group was 51–70 years. Regarding risk factors, 77.5% of patients had hypertension, 62.5% were smokers, and 80% were physically inactive.
The results showed a significant decrease in mean levels of irisin, ghrelin, and vitamin D in patients with ACS compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.001). Significant differences were also found among the different ACS subtypes. Patients with STEMI exhibited the lowest levels of irisin, ghrelin, and vitamin D, while unstable angina patients showed the highest levels among the ACS groups. These findings suggest that irisin and ghrelin may serve as supportive biomarkers in diagnosing ACS and stratifying risk.
The study also demonstrated increased levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and VLDL-cholesterol, along with decreased HDL-cholesterol in ACS patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). This pattern may indicate the involvement of these biochemical markers in thrombosis formation, atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, and the prediction of ACS.
Levels of cardiac troponin I were significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction compared to healthy individuals (P = 0.000), confirming its high diagnostic specificity in detecting myocardial injury.
The study concludes that higher levels of irisin, ghrelin, and vitamin D are associated with a more favorable lipid profile in ACS patients, suggesting a potential protective role of these biomarkers in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health.