Cardiac troponin I is elevated in dogs and cats with azotaemia renal failure and in dogs with non-cardiac systemic disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if dogs and cats with renal failure, or other severe non-cardiac disease, and no antemortem evidence of cardiac disease on basic clinical evaluation, have elevated levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI).


METHODS
Cross-sectional study using 56 dogs and 14 cats with primary non-cardiac disease (39 dogs with azotaemic renal failure, 14 cats with azotaemic renal failure, 17 dogs with non-cardiac systemic disease); 7/25 dogs and 6/14 cats had murmurs detected on physical examination. Serum or heparinised plasma was collected and analysed for cTnI.


RESULTS
Cardiac troponin I concentrations were elevated above reference intervals in 70% of dogs and 70% of cats with azotaemic renal failure and in 70% of dogs with a variety of systemic non-cardiac diseases. Cardiac troponin I concentrations did not correlate with the degree of azotaemia, presence of murmurs, hypertension or type of non-cardiac illness.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac troponin I concentration is often elevated in dogs and cats with azotaemic renal failure and in dogs with other systemic non-cardiac illness, suggesting that these conditions often result in clinically inapparent myocardial injury or possibly altered elimination of cTnI.
Porciello
F
F
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Perugia, Umbria, Italy.
Rishniw
M
M
Herndon
W E
WE
Birettoni
F
F
Antognoni
M T
MT
Simpson
K W
KW
D000818:Animals; D053099:Azotemia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I