Highly sensitive troponin T in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Newly developed troponin assays have superior diagnostic and prognostic performance in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), when compared to conventional troponin assays; however, highly sensitive troponin has not been evaluated in patients with acute ischemic stroke.


METHODS
Highly sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) was measured daily during the first 4 days in 193 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke without overt ACS or atrial fibrillation. The patients were previously tested normal with a fourth-generation TnT assay. The patients were followed for 47 months, with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality end-points.


RESULTS
A total of 33.7% of the patients had hsTnT levels >14 ng/l following admission. Patients with increased hsTnT were older, had decreased hemoglobin levels and increased creatinine, NT-proBNP and CRP levels. hsTnT concentrations at admission were significantly higher in decedents than in survivors. After adjustment for stroke severity, C-reactive protein, age, NT-proBNP and prior heart and/or renal failure, hsTnT levels were not a significant predictor of long-term all-cause or cardiovascular mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated levels of hsTnT are frequently present in patients with acute ischemic stroke previously tested normal with a fourth-generation TnT assay. hsTnT did not provide additional prognostic information in these subjects.
Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. jesperkjensen@dadlnet.dk
J K
JK
Jensen
T
T
Ueland
P
P
Aukrust
L
L
Antonsen
S R
SR
Kristensen
J L
JL
Januzzi
J
J
Ravkilde
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D020107:Troponin T; D002097:C-Reactive Protein