title: Aortic stiffness is associated with elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T concentrations at a chronic stage after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV)--the proposed gold standard for the assessment of aortic stiffness--is a major determinant of left ventricular after-load and coronary perfusion. We aimed to investigate the association between aortic PWV and subclinical elevation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) concentrations at a chronic stage after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four patients with acute STEMI were included in this cross-sectional single-centre study at the University Hospital of Innsbruck. All patients underwent cardiac MRI for the assessment of left ventricular function, morphology, infarct size and aortic PWV 12 months after acute STEMI. Blood samples were drawn at 12 months by peripheral venipuncture. Levels of hs-TnT were measured by a commercially available immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics).
  
  
  RESULTS
  hs-TnT levels (6.4 ng/l, inter-quartile range 5.0-8.6) were significantly associated with age (r = 0.417, P < 0.001), plasma creatinine levels (r = 0.257, P = 0.027), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (r = 0.281, P = 0.015) and aortic PWV (r = 0.435, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed aortic PWV (ß = 0.330, P = 0.025), apart from plasma creatinine concentrations (ß = 0.279, P = 0.010), to be independently associated with hs-TnT concentrations (model: R = 0.597, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed an association of aortic stiffness and hs-TnT concentrations at a chronic stage after STEMI.
authors.affiliation: aUniversity Clinic of Internal Medicine III, Cardiology and Angiology bUniversity Clinic of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Hans-Josef
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Feistritzer
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klug
authors.forename: Sebastian J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reinstadler
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mair
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seidner
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Wolfgang-Michael
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Metzler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020107:Troponin T; D002097:C-Reactive Protein