Cardiac Troponins I and T as Biomarkers of Cardiomyocyte Injury—Advantages and Disadvantages of Each

Abstract

Measurement of cardiac troponin in serum is an essential part of diagnosing myocardial infarction in the emergency department. The guidelines suggest that high-sensitivity techniques should be used for measuring cardiac troponin I (cTnI) or cardiac troponin T (cTnT). The aim of our study was to correlate the values of both troponins, and to ascertain which type of troponin is more in agreement with the diagnosis. The patients were classified into four groups: 43 patients in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), 7 in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 48 in Type 2 myocardial infarction, and 21 in the control group. A significant correlation between cTnI and cTnT was found in the NSTEMI (r = 0.70) and Type 2 (r = 0.75) groups while in the control group there was no association (r = −0.06). The ratios of cTnI and cTnT relative to their cut-off values were lower in Type 2 myocardial infarction compared to NSTEMI. This difference can be attributed to the pathophysiology of these two types of heart conditions. The ratio in the NSTEMI group was higher in female than in male patients (53.3 vs. 24.6 ng/L); the same difference was found for the ratio of cTnT (20.8 vs. 13.1 ng/L). In the same manner, the ratios in the Type 2 group were higher in female than in male patients for cTnI (25.6 vs. 12.7 ng/L) as well as for cTnT (19.0 vs. 6.73 ng/L). These differences could be due to biological differences, but they could also be influenced by other factors contributing to different damage responses.