Significance of Serum Troponin-T Level in Acute Ischemic Pain Syndrome

Kim, Sang Gon; Lee, Sung Wook; Lee, Hyuck; An, Won Suk; Bae, Sang Moon; Kim, Byeong Cheol; Dho, Hyun Kuk; Kim, Moo Hyun; Kim, Young Dae; Kim, Jong Seong

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
In coronary arterial disease, quantitative assessment of the extent of myocardial damage is important both in management of the patient and prediction of prognosis. Measurement of serum Troponin-T is a new method for detecting myocardial cellular injury, used as more specific marker of tissue damage and reperfusion status in acute myocardial infarction, This study was performed to evaluate the significance of serum Troponin-T measurement in various acute chest pain syndrome.
METHODS
37 patients who presented anterior ischemic chest pain enrolled from April, 1994 to September, 1995, From the initial period of admission, serial measurements of serum level of cardiac enzymes (CK, CK MB, Myoglobin, Troponin-T) were made. Then release time, peak time and normalization time of each enzyme were derived and compared each other. To evaluate whether Troponin-T level can reflect the extent of ischemic injury, correlation between peak Troponin-T level and peak CK MB level was analysed by regression method.
RESULTS
1) Acute myocardial infarction was confirmed in 15 cases; Q-wave myocardial infarction was 10 cases(anterior wall-5 cases, inferior wall-4 cases, lateral wall-1 cases), and non Q-wave myocardial infarction was 5 cases. Unstable angina was 22 cases. All cases had significant stenosis in coronary angiography. 2) The appearance in the serum level of 4 cardiac enzymes was as follows. The release time(hours) of 4 cardiac enzymes(Troponin-T, CK, CK MB, Myoglobin) were 7.1(1-30), 9.3(1-30), 9.9(1-30), 6.2(1-30). The peak time(hours) of 4 cardiac enzymes were 23.0(1.5-96), 21.6(2-66), 16.9(2-42), 12.7(3-40). The normalization time(hours) of the enzymes were over 72, 53.7(11-86), 52.3(11-94), 32.3(10-82). 3) Elevation pattern of cardiac enzymes showed concordance of all 3 enzymes(Troponin-T, CK MB, Myoglobin) in 29 of 43 cases(67.4%), There was concordance of 2 enzymes in 10 cases; 5 cases of CK MB and Myoglobin, 5 cases of Troponin-T and Myoglobin. In 4 cases, only Myoglobin level was increased. 4) There was significant correlation between peak Troponin-T level and peak CK level(r=0.66, p=0.0178), significant correlation was also observed between peak Troponin-T level and peak CK MR level(r=0.90, p=0.0001).
CONCLUSION
In acute myocardial infarction serum Troponin-T was detectable as early as CK MB, and lasted longer after other enzyme level was normalized. There was significant correlation between peak Troponin-T level and peak CK, CK MB level, suggesting Troponin-T as useful marker for assessing the extent of myocardial damage.