The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of circulating secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) activity in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

The plasma level of type IIA sPLA2 is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with stable CAD. The prognostic impact of sPLA2 in patients with ACS is unknown.

Secretory phospholipase A2 antigen levels and activity were measured in plasma samples of 446 patients with ACS, obtained at the time of enrollment.

Baseline sPLA2 activity was associated with the risk of death and myocardial infarction (MI). The unadjusted rate of death and MI increased in a stepwise fashion with increasing tertiles of sPLA2 activity (p < 0.0001). The association remained significant in the subgroup of patients who had MI with ST-segment elevation (p = 0.014) and the subgroup of patients who had unstable angina or non–ST-segment elevation MI (p < 0.002). After adjustment for clinical and biological variables, the hazard ratios for the combined end point of death or MI in the third tertile of sPLA2 compared with the first and second tertiles was 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 6.91, p = 0.006).

A single measurement of plasma sPLA2 activity at the time of enrollment provides strong independent information to predict recurrent events in patients with ACS.