Significance of Serum Tenascin C in Patients With Acute Aortic Disease

Patients with acute and chronic aortic disease /survivors and non-survivors were compared. Further subgroup analysis on the characteristics of the aneurysm and patients were performed. The aneurysms (ruptured and dissected) were divided according to the style of the Stanford classification,according to the location of the pathology in aneurysms of the ascending thoracic aorta .the descending thoracic aorta, or the abdominal aorta.The subgroup were divided according to the extent of propagation of the disease (rupture,covered rupture, acute dissection, chronic dissection and ectasia). Rupture was defined by direct visualisation of the discontinuity of the aortic wall by computed tomography, sonography, intraoperative findings or at autopsy with detection of blood in the pleural, pericardial or abdominal cavity. Covert rupture was defined as an intramural haematoma without detection of free blood in the body cavities. Acute dissection was defined when blood separating the layers of the aortic media was newly diagnosed. Chronic dissection was defined as the absence of any visible propagation of a known dissection compared to preexisting examinations. Ectatic aneurysm was defined as a permanent localised dilatation of the aorta with a diameter of at least 50% greater than normal. Documentation of the surgical interventions and autopsy reports was used to confirm the diagnosis. In all patients the investigators collected the history, age of the patients, duration of pain, blood pressure at admission and laboratory parameters (haematocrit, creatinine) and Tenascin C Serum levels after admission to our emergency department immediately. The patients were followed up until hospital discharge and the outcome (survived/died) was recorded.