PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION OF INFARCT EXPANSION FOLLOWING HEMORRHAGIC INFARCTIONS

摘要

Methods of treating a subject with myocardial infarction are provided, which include selective targeting time-dependent iron products at different phases of the infarction. It is discovered that during acute phase of myocardial infarction, ferrous iron in the form of heme accumulate, often followed by infarct expansion, and during the chronic phase, ferric iron in the form of crystals are dominant. Chelator agents specific for ferrous iron, heme or ferric iron are demonstrated in the protection of cardiomyocytes, reduction of infarct expansion, or improving cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction. Also provided are methods for determining the presence of intramyocardial hemorrhage by measuring plasma level of cardiac troponin before and after re-vascularization or a reperfusion therapy, which can be used to guide therapeutic treatment or intervention procedures to control the hemorrhage and mitigate infarct expansion.