Clinical significance of serum cardiac troponin T in patients with congestive heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the level of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was increased in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).


METHODS
This study consisted of 265 patients with CHF and 75 healthy people. Serum cTnT was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay using an Elecsys 1010 automatic analyzer.


RESULTS
cTnT concentration was 0.181 +/- 0.536 ng/mL in CHF patients and 0.003 +/- 0.001 ng/mL in controls (P < 0.001). Patients were categorized according to the levels of heart function and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In the first group consisting of 105 patients with LVEF </= 35%, cTnT was 0.311 +/- 0.221 ng/mL. In the second group of 106 patients with LVEF > 35%, cTnT was 0.07 +/- 0.0 5 ng/mL (P < 0.01). In patients with NYHA class I, II, III and IV, cTnT values were 0.062 +/- 0.022 ng/mL, 0.113 +/- 0.121 mg/mL, 0.191 +/- 0.231 mg/ml and 0.384 +/- 0.211 mg/mL, respectively (class I vs class II P > 0.05, class II vs class III P < 0.01, class III vs class IV P < 0.01). A negative correlation was observed between serum cTnT concentration and LVEF in 265 patients with CHF (r = -0.493, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the level of serum cTnT is increased in patients with CHF and that the increased level indicates the severity of CHF.
Xue
Chuncai
C
Department of Cardiology, People's Hospital of Binzhou City, Shandong 256610, China. xuechc@yahoo.com.cn
Yu
Hongwei
H
Li
Ruijie
R
Wo
Jinshan
J
Cui
Jiayu
J
Cheng
Haibin
H
Wang
Hongyun
H
Guan
Qinghua
Q
Suo
Xiaoxia
X
Jia
Rongbo
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013318:Stroke Volume; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
D020107:Troponin T