title: Serial analysis of serum cardiac troponin I changes and correlation with clinical findings in 46 dogs with mitral valve disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a biomarker correlated with the severity of myocardial injury. It is hypothesized that serial assessment of cTnI could provide information about the disease progression in chronic heart failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to correlate serial serum cTnI concentrations with clinical scoring and select diagnostic imaging findings in dogs managed for mitral valve degeneration (MVD) for a period of 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Client-owned dogs with MVD were prospectively recruited for the study. The dogs were allocated into 3 groups (I, II, III) according to the severity of their clinical signs based on the classification suggested by the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council. During the 6-month study period, serum specimens for biochemical testing were obtained biweekly, clinical progression and response to treatment were also evaluated biweekly, and radiographic reevaluation was performed every 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 46 dogs were evaluated. There was a marked decrease in cTnI values during the first 2 weeks after initial diagnosis, more pronounced in group III, and corresponding to the initiation of therapy and clinical stabilization of animals. Serum cTnI was significantly different (P < .05) among the 3 dog groups throughout the study period. The interaction between Group and Period was significant in group III, indicating an upward cTnI trend evident in severely affected animals. A positive correlation was demonstrated in all groups between serum cTnI and clinical scoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term management of MVD in dogs could benefit from the serial measurement of cTnI.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Zoe S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Polizopoulou
authors.forename: Christos K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Koutinas
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dasopoulou
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patsikas
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: Mitul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Alexander F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Koutinas
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I
keywords: Cardiac biomarkers; clinical progression; mitral valve degeneration; monitoring of cardiac disease; myocyte degeneration