title: High-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay as serum biomarker to predict cardiac risk in myotonic dystrophy: A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic disorder caused by nucleotide repeats expansion. Sudden death represents the main cause of mortality in DM patients. Here, we investigated the relationship between serum cardiac biomarkers with clinical parameters in DM patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study included 59 DM patients and 22 healthy controls. An additional group of 62 controls with similar cardiac defects to DM were enrolled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT and CK levels were significantly increased in DM patients compared to healthy subjects (p=0.0008, p<0.0001, p<0.0001). Also, hs-cTnT levels were significantly higher in DM compared to control group with cardiac defects (p=0.0003). Positive correlation was found between hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI in both DM patients and controls (p=0.019, p=0.002). Independently from the age, the risk of DM disease was positively related to an increase in hs-cTnT (p=0.03). On the contrary, the risk of DM was not related to hs-cTnI, but was evidenced a role of PR interval (p=0.03) and CK (p=0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of hs-cTnT were significantly higher in DM patients. Analysis, with anti-cTnT, shows that this increase might be linked to heart problems. This last finding suggests that hs-cTnT might represent a helpful serum biomarker to "predict" cardiac risk in DM disease.
authors: Research Laboratories, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy. Electronic address: rea.valaperta@grupposandonato.it.
authors: Rea
authors: R
authors: Valaperta
authors: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Unit of Hygiene, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors: Maddalena
authors: M
authors: Gaeta
authors: Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Rosanna
authors: R
authors: Cardani
authors: Research Laboratories, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Fortunata
authors: F
authors: Lombardi
authors: Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Benedetta
authors: B
authors: Rampoldi
authors: Research Laboratories, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: De Siena
authors: Clinical Cardiology Unit and CCU, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Mori
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Fossati
authors: Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Gaia
authors: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Unit of Hygiene, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors: Ottavia Eleonora
authors: OE
authors: Ferraro
authors: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Unit of Hygiene, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Villani
authors: Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Iachettini
authors: Laboratory of Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Piccoli
authors: Laboratory of Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Cirillo
authors: Clinical Cardiology Unit and CCU, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Pusineri
authors: Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Meola
authors: Research Laboratories, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Service of Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020107:Troponin T
keywords: Cardiac involvement; Myotonic dystrophy; hs-cTnI; hs-cTnT