Troponin-T: improved diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in childhood

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica 1997-12, Vol.86 (12), p.1321-1327
• Main Authors: Immer, FF, Stocker, F., Seiler, AM, Pfammatter, J-P, Printzen, G., Peheim, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiomyopathies - diagnosis; Cardiomyopathies - pathology; Cardiomyopathies - surgery; Child; Child, Preschool; Childhood; creatine kinase; Creatine Kinase - analysis; Female; Heart; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Isoenzymes; Male; Medical sciences; myocardial damage; Myocarditis. Cardiomyopathies; Postoperative Period; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Care; Prognosis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Troponin - analysis; Troponin T
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb14906.x

Troponin‐T (cTnT) as a marker of myocardial damage is well established in adults, but not yet in children. cTnT was measured in 85 children (aged 1 day‐204 months, mean 46 months). Twenty‐five children were non‐surgical patients, with possible myocardial damage suspected on clinical grounds. The other 60 patients had cardiac surgery leading to a defined myocardial damage. In these children, troponin‐T (cTnT), creatine kinase activity (CK), creatine kinase‐MB activity (CK‐MB), and creatine kinase‐MB‐Mass (CK‐MB‐Mass) were measured preoperatively and 3–4 times during the first 55 postoperative h. Except in four children with probable preoperative myocardial damage, all troponin‐T values were in the normal range (< 0.1 μig/1). All children with intracardiac surgery showed a postoperative increase in troponin‐T. Children with extracardiac surgery of the great vessels showed no postoperative increase of troponin‐T. For the assessment of myocardial damage, troponin‐T was more specific and more sensitive than the other markers tested, troponin‐T might significantly improve the diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in children.