Cardiac troponin T in hemodialyzed patients.

We studied the extent and pattern of increased cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentrations in 174 hemodialyzed patients. cTnT concentrations were above 0.10 and 0.20 microg/L in 29% and 10% of patients, respectively. In patients without acute coronary disease, the highest value observed was 3.2 microg/L. cTnT increased after dialysis in 10 of 12 patients, with a mean increase of 0.14 microg/L. In 125 patients with samples taken at 1-month intervals, 34% of patients showed differences <20%, but 16% of patients had differences greater than twofold. Serum creatinine and urea, adequacy of dialysis, and duration on dialysis did not explain increased concentrations. Sixty percent of 57 diabetic patients had increased concentrations; the patients with multiple diabetic complications had the highest positivity. cTnT was increased in all eight patients with complications of neuropathy, retinopathy, coronary, and peripheral vascular disease; in 80% of patients with neuropathy; in 77% with peripheral vascular disease; in 73% with retinopathy; and in 70% with coronary artery disease.