title: High background levels compromise the use of cardiac troponin I RNA detection in peripheral blood as a diagnostic tool in cardiology.
abstract: The detection of cardiac troponins in peripheral blood as protein markers of myocardial infarction is a new diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of cardiac disease. In order to increase the sensitivity and specificity of this diagnostic approach, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay has been developed to detect the mRNA encoding cardiac troponin I from myocardial cells hypothetically released from damaged cardiac tissue. The detection is specific for cardiac troponin I mRNA, with no amplification of homologous sequences of other troponin I isoforms, i.e., troponin I from skeletal muscle cells. However, a strong amplification signal for cardiac troponin I mRNA was detected in samples of peripheral blood from healthy human volunteers. In patients with acute myocardial infarction or angina pectoris, the cardiac troponin I mRNA levels were not increased over background levels. In conclusion, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction approach based on the amplification of cardiac troponin I mRNA is not feasible in the diagnosis of cardiac diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Medical Clinic, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tschentscher
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heeschen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagener
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D019210:Troponin I / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019210:Troponin I