Evaluation of serum cardiac troponin I concentration in dogs with renal failure.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether dogs with renal failure have higher serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations than healthy dogs.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
31 dogs with renal failure and 51 healthy dogs.


METHODS
Serum concentrations of creatinine and cardiac troponin I, urine specific gravity, and systolic arterial blood pressure were measured for all dogs. Dogs underwent a standardized physical examination, and any dog with evidence of cardiovascular disease or other nonrenal disease was excluded from final analyses. Dogs were considered to be in renal failure when the serum creatinine concentration was >or= 3.0 mg/dL, urine specific gravity was between 1.007 and 1.030, and renal failure had been clinically diagnosed.


RESULTS
Dogs with renal failure had significantly higher serum cTnI concentrations (median, 0.35 ng/mL) than did healthy dogs (0.20 ng/mL). The renal failure group also had a significantly higher median systolic blood pressure (156 mm Hg) than did healthy dogs (138 mm Hg), although serum cTnI concentration was not correlated with systolic blood pressure in dogs with renal failure. There was no significant difference in age between dogs with renal failure and healthy dogs, but dogs with renal failure had significantly higher serum creatinine concentration and lower urine specific gravity.


CONCLUSIONS
Although dogs with renal failure did not have overt clinical signs of cardiac disease, they had high serum cTnI concentrations, which may have been associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease. The cause of the high serum cTnI concentration in these dogs requires additional investigation.
Sharkey
Leslie C
LC
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Berzina
Inese
I
Ferasin
Luca
L
Tobias
Anthony H
AH
Lulich
Jody P
JP
Hegstad-Davies
Rebecca L
RL
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D013046:Specific Gravity; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I; D003404:Creatinine