Cardiac Troponin I elevation after epileptic seizure.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac troponin-I (cTNI) is highly specific biomarker to prove myocardial damage, e.g. in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, it occurs in other conditions as well. We therefore analysed cTNI increase in patients after generalized convulsive seizure.


METHODS
Consecutive patients admitted with acute generalized convulsive seizure were included in case of cTNI measurement on admission. Among 898 selected cases, 53 patients were referred secondary to our department; in 845 cases cTNI measurements on admission were available. In case of multiple admissions (81 cases), only the first admission entered our analysis. In 17 patients elevated cTNI was determined due to ACS; in one patient a myocarditis was found. 5 patients suffered of relevant renal insufficiency. Finally 741 patients were included in the analysis. A cTNI cut-off level of ≥ 0.1 ng/ml was considered. Factors associated with a cTNI increase were analysed subsequently.


RESULTS
The mean age of the study population (n = 741) was 47.8 years (SD ± 18.6), 40.9% were female. In 50 patients (6.7%) a cTNI elevation of unknown origin was found; no obvious cardiac involvement could be detected in these patients who all remained asymptomatic. A vascular risk profile (including at least hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or diabetes) (OR = 3.62; CI: 1.59 to 8.21; p = 0.001) and elevated creatine kinase on admission (OR = 2.36; CI: 1.26 to 4.39; p = 0.002) were independent factors associated with cTNI release.


CONCLUSIONS
cTNI release occurs in patients with generalized convulsive seizure with predominance in patients with vascular risk profile.
Departments of Neurology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Nicole
N
Sieweke
Jens
J
Allendörfer
Wolfgang
W
Franzen
Andreas
A
Feustel
Frank
F
Reichenberger
Wolfgang
W
Pabst
Heidrun Heidi
HH
Krämer
Manfred
M
Kaps
Christian
C
Tanislav
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I