The purpose of study was to determine the relationship between the activity of antioxidant agents and cardiac biomarkers levels in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and antecedent hypertension (AH).

Forty-two patients with NSTEMI and AH were examined, mean age 61.82±7.65 years; 11 women; duration of AH 9.62±3.16years (group 1). Also 30 patients with NSTEMI without previous history of AH were examined (group 2). The levels of troponin I (TnI) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), selenium (Se), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) were determined in blood of all patients.

Patients of group 1 had higher TnI levels (+25.7%, 28.3±3.23ng/mL, P=0.006), CK-MB levels (+19.2%, 186.3±24.4 units/L, P=0.008) and lower levels of SOD (−23.2%, P=0.005), CAT (−40.63%, P=0.003) and Se (−18.9%, P=0.008) as compared with group 2. In both groups, the activity of SOD had a negative correlation with TnI: (r=−0.46, P=0.005) and (r=−0.38, P=0.004), respectively. A significant negative relationships were found between Se levels and indexes of biomarkers in group 1: TnI (r=−0.32, P=0.009), CK-MB (r=−0.18, P=0.005), whereas in group 2 a weak correlation was found between the levels of Se and TnI only (r=−0.12, P=0.006).

The obtained data demonstrate that Se levels and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in blood of patients with NSTEMI negatively correlate with the markers of myocardial injury. Patients with NSTEMI and AH have significantly lower levels of antioxidant agents, higher levels of TnI and CK-MB, and stronger connections between them, indicating the development of more significant myocardial injury.