Value of quantitative analysis of serum cTnT in diagnosis of cardiac disease and myocardial injury.

Serum cTnT, CK-MB and LD1 were measured in 30 patients with AMI, 76 patients with VMC, 12 patients who had undergone operation without cardioplegia, 16 patients who had received open heart operation, 15 patients who had undergone thoracotomy for non-heart surgery and 55 healthy people. Concentration of serum cTnT was 0.057 +/- 0.056 microgram/L in healthy people, 0.069 +/- 0.032 microgram/L in patients who underwent thoracotomy for non-heart surgery, 0.328 +/- 0.472 microgram/L in patients with VMC, 0.388 +/- 0.279 microgram/L in patients with DCM, 4.259 +/- 4.619 micrograms/L in patients with AMI, 8.55 +/- 6.78 micrograms/L in patients who had undergone operation without cardioplegia and 16.03 +/- 6.01 micrograms/L in heart operation patients. In patients with VCM and DCM, serum cTnT was more specific and sensitive than CK-MB and LD1 for diagnosing myocardial injury. In patients with AMI and heart operation patients, the increasing multiple of serum cTnT was obviously higher than that of CK-MB and LD1. 72 h after heart operation, cTnT was still higher than normal, while CK-MB had returned to normal level. Serum cTnT had higher specificity and sensitivity and longer diagnostic period in diagnosing myocardial injury. Moreover, cTnT assay could indicate the degree of myocardial injury. So, quantitative analysis of cTnT can be used as a routine examination in the diagnosis of myocardial injury.