Data are scant regarding serum bilirubin levels in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). In this study, we evaluated the role of serum bilirubin levels in NSTE-ACS. We enrolled 782 patients who presented to the emergency department with acute chest pain. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the troponin positivity. Patients with NSTE-ACS who had troponin positivity were included in group 1 (n = 382), and group 2 consisted of the control patients (n = 400). Direct bilirubin (DB) levels (group 1: 0.31 ± 0.37 mg/dL, group 2: 0.20 ± 0.25 mg/dL, P < .001) and total bilirubin (TB) levels (group 1: 0.78 ± 0.56 mg/dL, group 2: 0.62 ± 0.45 mg/dL, P < .001) were significantly higher in group 1. There was a significant and moderate correlation between serum bilirubin levels and admission troponin values ( r = .34, P < .001 for TB and r = .42, P < .001 for DB). These results show that serum bilirubin levels were associated with troponin positivity in patients with NSTE-ACS.
Keywords: bilirubin; non-segment ST elevation acute coronary syndrome; troponin.