title: Cardiac troponin I in Doberman Pinschers with cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is useful for detection of cardiac myocyte damage, but its efficacy in detecting various stages of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic value of cTnI in various stages of DCM in Dobermans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred and fifty-three cTnI measurements of 336 Doberman Pinschers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a longitudinal study design, staging of the disease was based upon 24-hour-ambulatory-ECG (Holter) and echocardiography. A total of 447 cTnI measurements were performed in 264 healthy Dobermans, and 206 cTnI measurements in 75 Dobermans with cardiomyopathy. Eighty-eight cTnI samples were from dogs with >100 ventricular premature contractions (VPCs)/24 hour, but without echocardiographic changes ("VPC group"). Additional 19 samples originated from dogs with only echocardiographic changes ("ECHO group"), and 56 samples from dogs with both VPCs and echocardiographic changes ("VPC plus ECHO group"). Twenty samples were from dogs with clinical signs ("clinical group"). The group "incipient" included 23 dogs, that were considered to be normal according to Holter and echocardiography at the time of the exam, but that developed DCM within 1.5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  cTnI values of dogs in all disease groups, including the "incipient" (0.30+/-0.20) and "VPC group" (0.36+/-0.34), were significantly (P=.04, P<.001) higher than the control group (0.07+/-0.16). A cut-off value of >0.22 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 79.5% and a specificity of 84.4% to detect all forms of cardiomyopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  cTnI measurement is a valuable diagnostic test that can detect cardiomyopathy in dogs that are otherwise clinically normal.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Statistical Consulting Unit, LMU University, Munich, Germany. gwess@lmu.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wess
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahling
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019210:Troponin I