Cardiac troponin I is associated with severity of myxomatous mitral valve disease, age, and C-reactive protein in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) might be associated with cardiac remodeling in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Age- and sex-dependent variations in cTnI concentration have been described.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether plasma concentrations of cTnI and CRP are associated with severity of MMVD, and investigate potential associations of dog characteristics on cTnI and CRP concentrations. ANIMALS: Eighty-one client-owned dogs with MMVD of varying severity.
METHODS: Dogs were prospectively recruited for the study. Dogs were classified according to severity of MMVD. Plasma cTnI was analyzed by a high sensitivity cTnI assay with a lower limit of detection of 0.001 ng/mL, and plasma CRP was analyzed by a canine-specific CRP ELISA.
RESULTS: Higher cTnI concentrations were detected in dogs with moderate (0.014 [interquartile range 0.008-0.029] ng/mL, P = .0011) and severe (0.043 [0.031-0.087] ng/mL, P < .0001) MMVD, compared with healthy dogs (0.001 [0.001-0.004]ng/mL). Dogs with severe MMVD also had higher cTnI concentrations than dogs with mild (0.003 [0.001-0.024] ng/mL, P < .0001) and moderate (P = .0019) MMVD. There were significant associations of age, CRP, heart rate, and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, on cTnI concentration C-reactive protein did not differ among severity groups, but was significantly associated with cTnI, breed, and systolic blood pressure on CRP concentration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Analysis of cTnI concentration has potential to increase knowledge of overall cardiac remodeling in dogs with MMVD. However, effect of age on cTnI needs consideration when assessing cTnI.