Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndromes Evaluation (APACE) Study (APACE)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00470587 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : May 8, 2007
Last Update Posted : April 30, 2021
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The triage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome in the emergency room is a time-consuming diagnostic challenge. Therefore high sensitive early markers for myocardial damage are needed for more rapidly rule out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) - especially for the first 3 to 4 hours after onset of chest pain in AMI ("troponin-blind" period).
Therefore we test the hypothesis that the use meticulous patient history and novel cardiac markers can provide a faster detection or exclusion of AMI in patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department.
The prospective cohort study is designed to enrol patients presenting with acute chest pain at rest within the last 12 hours to the emergency department. Several blood samples for detection of the new markers will be drawn and compared with the gold standard for the diagnosis of AMI (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T). All patients will be contacted by telephone at 3, 12, 24 and 60 months to determine functional status, major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous coronary intervention), and the results of cardiac examination (stress test, coronary angiography) if performed.
Condition or disease |
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Myocardial Infarction Angina, Unstable |
Background: The triage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome in the emergency room is a time-consuming diagnostic challenge. Triage and management of patients with low probability of coronary artery disease often cause excessive hospital costs. Therefore high sensitive early markers for myocardial damage are needed for more rapidly rule out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Cardiac troponins (T and I) are currently the gold standard for definitive AMI diagnosis due to their high sensitivity and specificity for detection of myocardial cell injury. Unfortunately, troponin is undetectable by current assays in peripheral blood within 3 to 4 hours after onset of chest pain in AMI ("troponin-blind" period).
New cardiac markers such as the novel high-sensitive troponin I/T, ischemia modified albumin and placental growth factor have demonstrated certain advantages compared to troponin such as high negative predictive value for AMI, earlier verifiability in peripheral blood and possible value as independent risk marker. However, clinical evaluation in a large cohort of unselected patients presenting to an emergency department is still lacking.
Aim: To test the hypothesis that the use meticulous patient history and novel cardiac markers (including high-sensitive troponin I/T, myeloperoxidase, ischemia modified albumin, placental growth factor) can provide a faster detection or exclusion of AMI in patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department.
Patients and Methods: The prospective cohort study is designed to enrol unselected patients presenting with acute chest pain at rest within the last 12 hours to the emergency department. Several blood samples for detection of the new markers will be drawn (baseline, 1, 2, 3 and 6 hours) and compared with the gold standard for the diagnosis of AMI (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T). Timing and treatment of patients are left to the discretion of the attending physician and will be performed according to the standard house routine of the hospital. All patients will be contacted by telephone at 6, 12, 24 and 60 months to determine functional status, major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous coronary intervention), and the results of cardiac examination (stress test, coronary angiography) if performed.
Expected results: It is our hypothesis that the use meticulous patient history and novel cardiac markers can improve the detection of AMI by providing an early diagnosis for AMI with a high negative predictive value within the "troponin-blind" period.
Significance: The earlier detection of myocardial necrosis in peripheral blood could help to rule out AMI more rapidly. In addition it will allow a more rapid diagnosis and appropriate therapy of AMI. This can lead to a significant improvement in patient management and a reduction of in-hospital costs.
Study Type : | Observational |
Estimated Enrollment : | 10000 participants |
Observational Model: | Cohort |
Time Perspective: | Prospective |
Official Title: | Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndromes Evaluation (APACE) Study |
Study Start Date : | April 2006 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | June 2025 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | June 2025 |

- Diagnostic utility of various biomarkers, detailed patient's history and examination as well as ECG findings for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction [ Time Frame: at admission ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients presenting to the emergency department
- Typical angina pectoris or other thoracic sensations that are suspected to be caused by myocardial ischemia
- Symptoms at rest or minor exertion
- Onset of symptoms within the last 12 hours prior to presentation
- Written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age < 18 years
- Cardiogenic shock
- Terminal kidney disease requiring regular dialysis

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00470587
Contact: Christian Mueller, MD | 0041-61-2652525 | christian.mueller@usb.ch | |
Contact: Raphael Twerenbold, MD | raphael.twerenbold@usb.ch |
Czechia | |
Masaryk University Brno | Recruiting |
Brno, Czechia | |
Contact: Jiri Parenica, MD jiri.parenica@atlas.cz | |
Principal Investigator: Jiri Parenica, MD | |
Italy | |
Emergency Department San Martino Hospital | Recruiting |
Genova, Italy | |
Contact: Paola Ballarino, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Paola Ballarino, MD | |
Poland | |
Medical University of Silesia | Recruiting |
Zabrze, Poland | |
Contact: Beata Morawiec, MD beamorawiec@wp.pl | |
Principal Investigator: Beata Morawiec, MD | |
Spain | |
Hospital Clinic of Barcelona | Recruiting |
Barcelona, Spain, 08036 | |
Contact: Oscar Miro, MD 0034-93 227 54 00 OMIRO@clinic.ub.es | |
Sub-Investigator: Oscar Miro, MD | |
Hospital del Mar | Active, not recruiting |
Barcelona, Spain | |
Hospital Clinico San Carlos | Recruiting |
Madrid, Spain | |
Contact: Francisco Javier Martín Sánchez, MD | |
Switzerland | |
University Hospital of Basel | Recruiting |
Basel, Switzerland, 4031 | |
Contact: Raphael Twerenbold, MD 0041-61-2652525 raphael.twerenbold@usb.ch | |
Contact: Christian Mueller, MD 0041-61-2652525 christian.mueller@usb.ch | |
Principal Investigator: Christian Mueller, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Raphael Twerenbold, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Tobias Reichlin, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Maria Rubini Gimenez, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Jasper Boeddinghaus, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Luca Köchlin, MD | |
Kantonsspital Baselland, Standort Bruderholz | Completed |
Bottmingen, Switzerland | |
Kantonsspital Baselland, Standort Liestal | Recruiting |
Liestal, Switzerland | |
Contact: Jörg Leuppi, Prof. joerg.leuppi@ksbl.ch | |
Principal Investigator: Jörg Leuppi, Prof. | |
Sub-Investigator: Nicolas Geigy, MD | |
Klinik St. Anna | Completed |
Luzern, Switzerland | |
Kantonsspital Olten | Recruiting |
Olten, Switzerland | |
Contact: Christiane Arnold, MD | |
Sub-Investigator: Christiane Arnold, MD | |
Spital Limmattal | Completed |
Schlieren, Switzerland | |
Universitätsspital Zürich | Recruiting |
Zurich, Switzerland | |
Contact: Dagmar Keller, Prof. | |
Principal Investigator: Dagmar Keller, Prof. | |
Sub-Investigator: Albina Nowak, MD |
Principal Investigator: | Christian Mueller, MD | University Hospital of Basel |
Responsible Party: | Christian Müller, MD, Prof. Dr. med., University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00470587 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
APACE |
First Posted: | May 8, 2007 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | April 30, 2021 |
Last Verified: | April 2021 |
chest pain myocardial infarction unstable angina |
Myocardial Infarction Acute Coronary Syndrome Angina, Unstable Infarction Ischemia Pathologic Processes Necrosis Myocardial Ischemia |
Heart Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Vascular Diseases Angina Pectoris Chest Pain Pain Neurologic Manifestations |