PTX3 and myocardial infarction: The secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a prototypical cytokine, which is the majordeterminant of the production of the acute-phase proteins, C-reactive protein (CRP;a short pentraxin), is increased in infarcted myocardium.4 Moreover, elevated levels of both IL-6 and CRP correlate with infarct size,5 and elevated levels of CRP relate to increased in-hospital mortality and aworse prognosis.6, , , , –11 The role of a relatively newbiomarker in myocardial infarction, the long pentraxin 3 (PTX3), is less understood.12