The relationship between serum concentration of cardiac troponin I in chronic renal failure patients and cardiovascular events.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum cardiac troponin I in asymptomatic chronic renal failure patients and cardiovascular events.


BACKGROUND
Short-term follow-up studies on this subject produced conflicting results.


METHODS
A total of 63 asymptomatic patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) with regular hemodialysis were followed for 18 months for cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction events and interventional procedures such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Serum cTnI and other blood chemistries were measured at the time of the study.


RESULTS
Forty seven chronic dialysis patients (75%) had an elevated level of cTnI concentration more than the 0.08 ng/ml cutoff but only fourteen patients (22%) had and elevated cTnI concentration of more than the AMI cutoff (0.4ng/ml). When using the 0.08 ng/ml cutoff, the NT-proBNP concentrations of the elevated groups were significantly higher than the normal groups. The authors also found that the elevated groups above the AMI cutoff had significantly higher cardiovascular events.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated cTnI concentrations are commonly found in chronic renal failure patients. The AMI cutoff level of cTnI (0.4 ng/ml) seem to have a benefit for predicting the cardiovascular events in asymptomatic chronic renal failure patients while the 0.08 ng/ml cutoff doesn't have usefulness for this purpose. Further studies are needed to clarify this hypothesis.
Vichairuangthum
K
K
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Leowattana
W
W
Ong-Ajyooth
L
L
Pokum
S
S
D015415:Biomarkers; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D019210:Troponin I; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain