Defining Peri-Operative Myocardial Injury during Cardiac Surgery Using High-Sensitivity Troponin T

Objective: Cut-offs for high-sensitivity troponin (hs-Tn) elevations to define prognostically significant peri-operative myocardial injury (PMI) in cardiac surgery is not well-established. We evaluated the associations between peri-operative high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) elevations and 1-year all-cause mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: The prognostic significance of baseline hs-TnT and various thresholds for post-operative hs-TnT elevation at different time-points on 1-year all-cause mortality following cardiac surgery were assessed after adjusting for baseline hs-TnT and EuroSCORE in a post-hoc analysis of the ERICCA trial. Results: 1206 patients met the inclusion criteria. Baseline elevation in hs-TnT >x1 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) was significantly associated with 1-year all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.15–3.13). In the subgroup with normal baseline hs-TnT (n = 517), elevation in hs-TnT at all post-operative time points was associated with higher 1-year mortality, reaching statistical significance for elevations above: ≥100 × URL at 6 h; ≥50 × URL at 12 and 24 h; ≥35 × URL at 48 h; and ≥30 × URL at 72 h post-surgery. Elevation in hs-TnT at 24 h ≥ 50 × URL had the optimal sensitivity and specificity (73% and 75% respectively). When the whole cohort of patients was analysed, including those with abnormal baseline hs-TnT (up to 10 × URL), the same threshold had optimal sensitivity and specificity (66% and 70%). Conclusions: Both baseline and post-operative hs-TnT elevations are independently associated with 1-year all-cause mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The optimal threshold to define a prognostically significant PMI in our study was ≥50 × URL elevation in hs-TnT at 24 h

Integrating High-Sensitivity Troponin T and Sacubitril/Valsartan Treatment in HFpEF

OBJECTIVES This study examined the relationship among high-sensitivity troponin-T (hs-TnT), outcomes, and treatment with sacubitril/valsartan in patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). BACKGROUND hs-TnT is a marker of myocardial injury in HF. METHODS The PARAGON-HF trial randomized 4,796 patients with HFpEF to sacubitril/valsartan or valsartan. We compared the risk of the composite outcome of cardiovascular death (CVD) and total HF hospitalization (HHF) according to hs-TnT. We also assessed the effect of allocated treatment on hs-TnT. RESULTS hs-TnT was available in 1,141 patients (24%) at run-in (median value: 17 ng/L) and 1,260 (26%) at randomization, with 58.3% having hs-TnT >14 ng/L (upper limit of normal). During a median follow-up of 34 months, there were 393 outcome events (82 CVD, 311 HHF). Adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), log-hs-TnT at randomization was an independent predictor of the composite outcome (HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.19-1.59; P 17 ng/L) appeared to have a greater benefit from sacubitril/valsartan treatment when accounting for other potential effect modifiers (P interaction = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS Higher baseline hs-TnT was associated with increased risk of CVD/HHF, whereas hs-TnT decrease at 16 weeks led to lower subsequent risk of CVD/HHF compared with those who had persistently elevated values. Sacubitril/valsartan significantly reduced hs-TnT compared with valsartan. hs-TnT may be helpful in identifying patients with HFpEF who are more likely to benefit from sacubitril/valsartan. (J Am Coll Cardiol HF 2021;9:627-635) (c) 2021 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Non-commutability of results of highly sensitive troponin I and T immunoassays

Introduction: The measurement of cardiospecific troponins is pivotal in the diagnostic and prognostic approach of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, no information is available on the commutability of results between the novel highly-sensitive (HS) troponin T (TnT) and I (TnI) immunoassays. Materials and methods: The study population consisted in 47 consecutive patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) of the Academic Hospital of Parma with suspected AMI. TnI was measu-red with the novel prototype Beckman Coulter HS-AccuTnI immunoassay on Access 2, whereas TnT was measured with the Roche HS-TnT immunoassay on Cobas. Results: Eight out of the 47 patients (17%) were finally diagnosed as having an AMI. The overall cor-relation between TnT and TnI for total patient group was acceptable (r = 0.944; P < 0.01). Neverthe-less, when the analysis of data was carried out in separate groups according to the final diagnosis of AMI, two different equation results were obtained, i.e., HS-TnT = HS-AccuTnI x 0.349 + 20 (r = 0.823; P < 0.01) in non-AMI patients, and HS-TnT = HS-AccuTnI x 0.134 + 67 (r = 0.972; P < 0.01) in those with AMI. Conclusions: This study suggests the existence of two biological relationships between TnI and TnT in plasma, depending on the source of release from the myocardium. Moreover, the non-commutability of data between HS-TnT and HS-AccuTnI jeopardizes the clinical decision making, makes it impossible to calculate the delta or reference change value using the two biomarkers and to finally establish a reliable kinetics of troponin release from the injured myocardium

Wpływ stopnia nawodnienia oraz zmienności ciśnienia tętniczego krwi i częstości rytmu serca w czasie hemodializy na śróddializacyjne zmiany stężeń wysokoczułej troponiny T

Introduction. High sensitivity troponin T (TnT-hs) is biomarker of myocardial damage and ischemia. Despite its elevation troponin still preserve its usefulness as a marker of the cardiovascular risk and mortality in chronic kidney disease. Variations of hydration status between and during hemodialysis exert significant hemodynamic effects, which may negatively affect cardiovascular system and blood pressure and lead to myocardial damage. The aim of the study was to access the effect of hydration status and variability of blood pressure and heart rate induced by hemodialysis on intradialytic changes of TnT-hs, in chronic hemodialysis patients. Material and methods. In 50 chronic hemodialysis patients (35M, 15F, mean age 64 ± 12 years) blood pressure and heart rate were monitored noninvasively during HD session. Serum concentration of TnT-hs and hydration status were assessed before and after hemodialysis. Results. TnT-hs concentration was above normal range in 98% patients before, and in all after hemodialysis. Median TnT-hs level was 82 ng/L before and 84 ng/L after hemodialysis, which comprised 586% and 600% of the upper limit of normal range. There was a small 2.4%, intradialytic increase of TnT-hs (p = 0.004). TnT-hs levels correlated positively with mean interdialytic weigh gain, before HD (r = 0.43, p = 0.02) and after HD (r = 0.5, p = 0.003). There was also a positive correlation between TnT-hs concentration and mean heart rate (r = 0.37, p = 0.008) and with mean systolic blood pressure during HD, before HD (r = 0.3, p = 0.026) and after HD (r = 0.3, p = 0.031). Conclusions. Hemodialysis can be a risk factor of myocardial injury, especially in overhydrated patients.Wstęp. Wysokoczuła troponina T (TnT-hs) jest przydatnym klinicznie wskaźnikiem uszkodzenia komórek mięśnia sercowego. Stężenia TnT-hs u pacjentów z przewlekłą chorobą nerek są wyższe niż w populacji ogólnej, co wiąże się ze zwiększonym ryzykiem incydentów sercowo-naczyniowych oraz zgonu. Znaczne zmiany stopnia nawodnienia w czasie zabiegu hemodializy mogą niekorzystnie oddziaływać na układ sercowo-naczyniowy i ciśnienie tętnicze, co w efekcie może prowadzić do uszkodzenia kardiomiocytów. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu stanu nawodnienia, zmian częstości rytmu serca (HR) i ciśnienia tętniczego (BP) w trakcie hemodializy (HD) na zmiany stężeń TnT-hs powodowane zabiegiem hemodializy u pacjentów długotrwale hemodializowanych. Materiał i metody. U 50 pacjentów (35M, 15K, średnia wieku 64 ± 12 lat) z rozpoznaniem schyłkowej niewydolności nerek, długotrwale hemodializowanych, nieinwazyjnie monitorowano BP oraz HR podczas HD. Przed i po HD dokonano oceny stanu nawodnienia pacjenta oraz pobrano próbki krwi w celu oznaczenia stężenia TnT-hs. Wyniki. Zwiększone stężenie w surowicy TnT-hs stwierdzono u 98% pacjentów przed zabiegiem HD oraz u 100% pacjentów po zabiegu. Mediana TnT-hs wynosiła 82ng/l przed HD i 84 ng/l po zabiegu, co wyniosło odpowiednio 586% oraz 600% wartości górnego zakresu referencyjnego. Stężenie TnT-hs podczas HD wzrastało nieznacznie o 2,4% (p = 0,04). Stężenie TnT-hs przed HD i po zabiegu korelowało ze średnim HR (r = 0,37; p = 0,008) oraz średnim skurczowym BP podczas zabiegu HD (przed HD r = 0,32; p = 0,026 i po HD r = 0,3; p = 0,031). Wykazano dodatnią korelację między przewodnieniem pomiędzy dializami a stężeniem TnT-hs przed HD (r = 0,43, p = 0,02) i po HD (r = 0,5, p = 0,003). Wnioski. Zabieg hemodializy może zwiększać ryzyko uszkodzenia mięśnia sercowego, w szczególności w przypadku znacznego stopnia przewodnienia

Postoperative high-sensitivity troponin T as a predictor of sudden cardiac arrest in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Background: The usefulness of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) as a predictor of sudden cardiacarrest (SCA) in patients undergoing valve surgery is currently unknown.Methods: A prospective study was conducted on a group of 815 consecutive patients with significantvalvular heart disease that underwent elective valve surgery. The primary end-point was postoperative SCA.Results: The postoperative SCA occurred in 26 patients. At multivariate analysis of hs-TnT measuredimmediately after surgery (hs-TnT I) and age remained independent predictors of the primary end-point.Conclusions: Elevated postoperative hs-TnT was associated with a higher risk of postoperative SCA

Performance of highly sensitive cardiac troponin T assay to detect ischaemia at PET-CT in low-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome: a prospective observational study.

Highly sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) assay has improved clinical decision-making for patients admitted with chest pain. However, this assay's performance in detecting myocardial ischaemia in a lowrisk population has been poorly documented. To assess hs-TnT assay's performance to detect myocardial ischaemia at positron emission tomography/CT (PET-CT) in low-risk patients admitted with chest pain. Patients admitted for chest pain with a nonconclusive ECG and negative standard cardiac troponin T results at admission and after 6 hours were prospectively enrolled. Their hs-TnT samples were at T0, T2 and T6. Physicians were blinded to hs-TnT results. All patients underwent a PET-CT at rest and during adenosine-induced stress. All patients with a positive PET-CT result underwent a coronary angiography. Forty-eight patients were included. Six had ischaemia at PET-CT. All of them had ≥1 significant stenosis at coronary angiography. Areas under the curve (95% CI) for predicting significant ischaemia at PET-CT using hs-TnT were 0.764 (0.515 to 1.000) at T0, 0.812(0.616 to 1.000) at T2 and 0.813(0.638 to 0.989) at T6. The receiver operating characteristicbased optimal cut-off value for hs-TnT at T0, T2 and T6 needed to exclude significant ischaemia at PET-CT was &lt;4 ng/L. Using this value, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of hs-TnT to predict significant ischaemia were 83%/38%/16%/94% at T0, 100%/40%/19%/100% at T2 and 100%/43%/20%/100% at T6, respectively. Our findings suggest that in low-risk patients, using the hs-TnT assay with a cut-off value of 4 ng/L demonstrates excellent negative predictive value to exclude myocardial ischaemia detection at PET-CT, at the expense of weak specificity and positive predictive value. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01374607

Immediate and 24-h post-marathon cardiac troponin T is associated with relative exercise intensity

Purpose We aimed at exploring whether cardiopulmonary ftness, echocardiographic measures and relative exercise intensity were associated with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TNT) rise and normalization following a marathon. Methods Nighty-eight participants (83 men, 15 women; 38.72±3.63 years) were subjected to echocardiographic assessment and a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) before the race. hs-TNT was measured before, immediately after and at 24, 48, 96, 144 and 192 h post-race. Speed and mean heart rate (HR) during the race were relativized to CPET values: peak speed (%VVMAX), peak HR (HR%MAX), speed and HR at the second ventilatory threshold (HR%VT2 and %VVT2). Results Hs-TNT increased from pre- to post-race (5.74±5.29 vs. 50.4±57.04 ng/L; p<0.001), seeing values above the Upper Reference Limit (URL) in 95% of the participants. At 24 h post-race, 39% of the runners still exceeded the URL (High hs-TNT group). hs-TNT rise was correlated with marathon speed %VVT2 (r=0.22; p=0.042), mean HR%VT2 (r=0.30; p=0.007), and mean HR%MAX (r=0.32; p=0.004). Moreover, the High hs-TNT group performed the marathon at a higher Speed %VVT2 (88.21±6.53 vs. 83.49±6.54%; p=0.002) and Speed %VVMAX (72±4.25 vs. 69.40±5.53%; p=0.009). hsTNT showed no signifcant associations with cardiopulmonary ftness and echocardiographic measures, except for a slight correlation with left ventricular end systolic diameter (r=0.26; p=0.018). Conclusion Post-race hs-TNT was above the URL in barely all runners. Magnitude of hs-TNT rise was correlated with exercise mean HR; whereas, its normalization kept relationship with marathon relative speed

Undetectable High-Sensitivity Troponin T as a Gatekeeper for Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients Suspected of Acute Coronary Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to characterize the safety and efficiency of a strategy employing the limit of detection (LoD) of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) as a gatekeeper for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We included suspected ACS patients who underwent CCTA and were evaluated with hs-TnT. Patients were categorized as below the LoD and at or above the LoD. The primary outcome was 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as all-cause mortality, ACS, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 177 patients (mean age 55 ± 10 years, 50.3% women), and 16 (9.0%) patients reached the primary outcome. None of the patients died, while 13 had an adjudicated diagnosis of ACS, and 3 underwent elective coronary revascularization. There were 77 patients (44%) with an hs-TnT value below the LoD (MACEs; n = 1 [1.3%]) and 100 (56%) with at or above the LoD levels (MACEs; n = 15 [15%]). None of 67 patients with an hs-TnT value below the LoD and <50% stenosis on CCTA experienced MACEs. Out of the 10 patients with an hs-TnT value below the LoD and ≥50% stenosis on CCTA, 1 patient underwent elective percutaneous coronary revascularization. In patients with an hs-TnT value at or above the LoD, 74 patients had <50% stenosis on CCTA, and 2 patients (3%) were diagnosed with myocardial infarction without obstructive coronary artery disease confirmed on invasive angiography. Thirteen (50%) patients with an hs-TnT value at or above the LoD and ≥50% stenosis on CCTA experienced MACEs (11 ACS and 2 elective percutaneous coronary revascularizations). CONCLUSION: Our findings support that implementing the LoD of hs-TnT as a gatekeeper may reduce the need for CCTA in suspected ACS patients in the ED

Cardiac damage biomarkers and heart rate variability following a 118-km mountain race: relationship with performance and recovery

This study aimed to assess the release of cardiac damage biomarkers jointly with cardiac autonomic modulation after a mountain ultramarathon. Such knowledge and the possible relationship of these markers with race time is of primary interest to establish possible recommendations upon athletes’ recovery and return to training following these competitions. Forty six athletes enrolled in the Penyagolosa Trails CSP115 race (118 km and a total positive elevation of 5439 m) took part in the study. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-TNT) concentrations as well as linear and nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) were evaluated before and after the race. NT-proBNP and hs-TNT significantly increased post-race; fifty percent of the finishers surpassed the Upper Reference Limit (URL) for hs-TNT while 87% exceeded the URL for NT-proBNP. Overall and vagally-mediated HRV were diminished and cardiac autonomic modulation became less complex and more predictable following the race. More pronounced vagal modulation decreases were associated with higher levels of postexertional NT-proBNP. Moreover, rise in hs-TNT and NT-proBNP was greater among faster runners, while pre-race overall and vagally-mediated HRV were correlated with finishing time. Participation in a 118-km ultratrail induces an acute release of cardiac damage biomarkers and a large alteration of cardiac autonomic modulation. Furthermore, faster runners were those who exhibited a greater rise in those cardiac damage biomarkers. In light of these findings, an appropriate recovery period after ultraendurance races appears prudent and particularly important among better performing athletes. At the same time, HRV analysis is shown as a promising tool to assess athletes’ readiness to perform at their maximum level in an ultraendurance race

Pre-treatment high-sensitivity troponin T for the short-term prediction of cardiac outcomes in patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an emerging option for several advanced metastatic cancers, but may have cardiotoxic effects. The prognostic value of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) before treatment start has never been investigated. Materials and methods: Thirty consecutive patients underwent measurement of hs-TnT before starting ICI therapy (pembrolizumab, 23%; nivolumab, 12%; atezolizumab, 6%; durvalumab, 5%). The primary endpoint of cardiovascular death, stroke or transient ischaemic attack, pulmonary embolism and new-onset heart failure, and the secondary endpoint of progression of cardiac involvement according to the CARDIOTOX classification were evaluated after 3&nbsp;months from the first cycle. Results: Patients (median age 68&nbsp;years, 77% men, 13% with coronary artery disease, 90% current or former smokers, 67% overweight or obese and 43% hypertensive) had a median hs-TnT of 12&nbsp;ng/L (interquartile interval 8-23). The primary endpoint occurred only in patients with hs-TnT&nbsp;≥&nbsp;14&nbsp;ng/L at baseline. Therefore, only patients who had hs-TnT&nbsp;≥&nbsp;14&nbsp;ng/L before the first cycle died had a stroke/TIA or new-onset HF. Furthermore, nine out of 13 patients with the secondary endpoint (progression of cardiac disease) had hs-TnT&nbsp;≥&nbsp;14&nbsp;ng/L before the first cycle (P&nbsp;=.012). AUC values were 0.909 for the primary endpoint and 0.757 for the secondary endpoint. The best cut-off was 14&nbsp;ng/L for both the primary (100% sensitivity, 73% specificity) and secondary endpoints (sensitivity 75%, specificity 77%). Conclusions: In patients on ICIs, baseline hs-TnT predicts a composite cardiovascular endpoint and the progression of cardiac involvement at 3&nbsp;months, with 14&nbsp;ng/L as the best cut-off