Prospective Clinical Evaluation of Serum Cardiac Troponin T in Dogs Admitted to a Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) with a commercially available human enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) test in various groups of dogs, including those undergoing doxorubicin chemotherapy. Serum samples were obtained from 6 groups of dogs: (1) normal adult dogs (n = 15); (2) dogs with asymptomatic dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 5); (3) dogs with congestive heart failure (n = 10); (4) dogs with untreated neoplasia (n = 20); (5) dogs with skeletal muscle trauma (n = 10); and (6) dogs with neoplasia receiving doxorubicin chemotherapy (n = 4). One serum sample was obtained from each of the normal dogs, those with asymptomatic cardiomyopathy, those with congestive heart failure, and those with untreated neoplasia. Serum samples were obtained serially from the dogs that were undergoing doxorubicin chemotherapy; samples were collected before doxorubicin (30 mg/m2) administration and then 1, 5, 7, and 14 days after administration throughout 6 cycles for a cumulative total dose of 180 mg/m2. All normal dogs, dogs with untreated neoplasia, and dogs with asymptomatic dilated cardiomyopathy had cTnT concentrations below the lower limits of detection for the assay used (<0.05 ng/mL). Detectable concentrations of cTnT were found in 3 dogs with congestive heart failure and in 2 dogs with skeletal muscle trauma. Detectable concentrations also were found in both dogs that had received 180 mg/m2 of doxorubicin. We conclude that dogs with congestive heart failure and those with skeletal muscle trauma and dogs with neoplasia receiving high-dose doxorubicin chemotherapy may have increased serum cTnT concentration, which may be suggestive of myocardial damage.

Serum Values of Cardiac Troponin-T in Normal and Cardiomyopathic Dogs

“…The absence of detectable cTnT (>0.05 ng/ml) in healthy dogs confirms the utility of this assay in assessing acute myocardial damage, similar to that reported both for both human and veterinary subjects (De Francesco, 2002). The results of the present work indicate the usefulness of the cTnT test for the identification of cardiopathic subjects for whom disease is associated with myocardial damage.…”

“…The degree of increase in the level of cTnT is relatively proportional to the degree of myocardial damage, with prognostic implications as well. At the same time, the extreme sensitivity of this technique also allows for its use in other nonischemic pathologies including chronic cardiac insufficiency, pulmonary emboli, acute myocarditis, systemic hypertension, arrhythmias, and toxicity from doxorubicin (De Francesco, 2002). In veterinary medicine, O'Brien et al (1997) have demonstrated the utility of measuring the levels of cTnT in the diagnosis of experimentally induced myocardial damage.…”

Cardiac Arrhythmias and Serum Cardiac Troponins in Vipera palaestinae Envenomation in Dogs

“…Analyses of cTn-T and cTn-I were performed with 2 different analyzer systems, e, f 1 of which e has been extensively used in several previous studies of dogs. [14][15][16][17][18] Serum cTn concentrations from the envenomed dogs were compared with reference ranges that were established for 10 clinically normal (staff-owned) control dogs.…”

Prognostic usefulness of some parameters in dogs with canine parvovirus

“…In healthy dogs, blood levels of cardiac troponin T (cTn-T) or cTn-I are very low or below the level of detectability of most assay systems in both humans (11) and animals (5,9,14,28,32). The detection of high concentrations of circulating cTn-I is viewed as a specific indicator of myocardial injury and cellular necrosis (7,23).…”