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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1998;13:57-65
© 1998 Elsevier Science NL
a Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, D-45122 Essen, Germany
b Pharmacological Institute, University of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, D-45122 Essen, Germany
c Diagnostic Laboratories of the Department of Internal Medicine (Cancer Research), University of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, D-45122 Essen, Germany
Received 25 August 1997; received in revised form 18 November 1997; accepted 19 November 1997.
Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 201 7233596; fax: +49 201 7235931.
| Abstract |
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Key Words: Perioperative myocardial damage Cardiac troponin I Cardiac troponin T Creatine kinase MB isoenzyme Blood cardioplegia Coronary artery surgery
| Introduction |
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Troponin I, one of the subunits of the troponin regulatory complex, has two skeletal muscle isoforms and one cardiac, that are encoded by three distinct genes, presenting a dissimilarity of
40% in the amino acid sequence
[9]. Moreover, human cardiac troponin I (cTnI) has 31 additional residues on its N-terminal end that are not present in skeletal forms, thus providing a high potential for obtaining cardiac-specific antibodies
[10]. cTnI is not expressed in human skeletal muscle at any developmental stage or after trauma and regeneration
[11]. Unlike creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CKMB), cTnI is highly specific for myocardial tissue
[12]
[13]
[14], is not detectable in healthy persons, shows a greater proportional increase above the upper limit of the reference interval in patients with myocardial infarction
[15]
[16], is released fairly rapidly because of its molecular mass of 24 kDa after an episode of myocardial necrosis, and may remain elevated for 710 days
[14].
Given these features of cTnI, recently commercially available assays for measuring cTnI in serum and/or plasma focus the interest on this marker as a promising candidate for the solution of the diagnostic problems. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of cTnI for diagnosis and quantitation of perioperative myocardial damage in CABG patients.
| Material and methods |
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Cardiopulmonary bypass was established with an ascending aortic and a two-stage venous cannula using a membrane oxygenator (Cobe Excel, Cobe Laboratories). The perfusion temperature was maintained at 33°C or above, the hematocrit was between 20 and 25%, pump flows were between 1.8 and 2.2 l/min per m2, and mean arterial pressures were kept between 50 and 60 mmHg. In all patients cardioprotection was achieved by combined antegrade and retrograde (coronary sinus) multidose cold blood cardioplegia without/with warm induction and with warm terminal reperfusion [17]. All distal and proximal anastomoses were carried out during one period of aortic cross clamping [18]. Cardiopulmonary bypass was terminated without or with inotropic/mechanical support.
Protocol of investigation, blood specimens
In all patients perioperative hemodynamic measurements including the routine use of a Swan-Ganz catheter were made following a standardized scheme. In each patient the amount of postoperative inotropic support required was registered and the postoperative hemodynamic state was roughly calculated according to the recommendations of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded before surgery, immediately after the arrival in the intensive care unit, 12 h later, and every day thereafter until discharge. All ECGs were reviewed using criteria recently published
[19].
Perioperatively serial blood samples for measuring CKMB activity and the concentrations of CKMB mass, cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and cTnI were obtained via a central venous line shortly before induction of anesthesia and at (2), 3, 6, (8), 12, 24 and 48 h after release of the aortic clamp. In selected patients blood sampling for analysis of cTnI levels was continued once a day up to 144 h.
From each patient the records of transthoracic and/or transesophageal echocardiography carried out by the respective cardiologist 46 weeks after surgery were reviewed and compared with the preoperative echocardiographic and levocardiographic findings.
Laboratory analysis
Handling of blood samples
Following centrifugation, all serum/plasma samples were frozen in aliquots and stored at -70°C. After thawing, the samples were analyzed as a batch.
CKMB activities
CKMB catalytic concentrations in heparin-plasma were measured after immunoinhibition at 25°C by means of a N-acetylcysteine-activated, optimized ultraviolet test from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). The normal range of CKMB activity measured by this method is <10 U/l.
CKMB mass concentrations
Serum concentrations were determined by the Tandem Icon QSR CKMB test, a two-site enzyme immunoassay from Hybritech (Cologne, Germany). In presumably healthy subjects the upper reference limit for CKMB mass concentrations was 6.1 ng/ml
[20].
cTnT
Serum concentrations were determined by a commercial one-step sandwich immunoassay (Enzymun-Test® Troponin T, second-generation) on an ES 300 automated analyzer (both from Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany). By this assay, in apparently healthy individuals cTnT values <0.1 ng/ml have been found
[21].
cTnI
Concentrations in heparin-plasma were measured by the Stratus II automated two-site fluorometric enzyme immunoassay (Dade Diagnostika, Munich, Germany) which uses dual mouse monoclonal antibodies that recognize two different epitopes on the cTnI molecule. From assay initiation, time to first result is 10 min. In serum specimens from healthy persons without evidence of cardiac disease, cTnI concentration is below the minimal concentration detectable by the assay (i.e. the smallest concentration that can be distinguished from zero), or 0.35 ng/ml
[22].
Data analysis
Patients were assigned to four groups according to the criteria of patient classification shown in Table 2. cTnI levels were studied for each group separately.
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| Results |
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In summary, the strict criteria of group I were fulfilled by 87 patients (73.1%), 19 patients (16.0%) were classified to be in group II and 8 patients (6.7%) to be in group III, respectively. Group IV comprised 5 patients (4.2%).
Overall clinical results
Intra- and postoperative surgical data are summarized in Table 3. Postoperatively 1 patient out of each group (IIV) died resulting in a 30-day mortality rate of 3.4%.
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Group I
cTnT levels remained consistently low (<1.0 ng/ml) with an integrated area of 16.7±9.7 ng/mlxh (
Fig. 1
). Time courses of CKMB catalytic and mass concentrations were characterized by an early peak at 3 h with 19.2±5.7 U/l and 24.6±10.4 ng/ml and a monoexponential decline with mean values at 24 h of 9.7±4.1 U/l and 13.7±8.0 ng/ml, respectively. The mean integrated areas were 453.4±147.8 U/lxh and 621.8±302.7 ng/mlxh, respectively (
Fig. 2
).
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Group IV
cTnT levels and CKMB values indicated Q-wave PMI in 3 patients and no additional significant perioperative myocardial damage in 2 patients (data not shown).
Time course of cTnI plasma levels and total release
Group I
cTnI levels remained low reaching peak values of 4.8±2.5 ng/ml at 12 h and 5.2±3.2 ng/ml at 24 h after aortic unclamping with an integrated area of 194.4±103.6 ng/mlxh (
Fig. 3
). The relative increase in cTnI concentrations was 16.2±9.0 times the smallest concentration that can be distinguished from zero. Thereafter, cTnI levels declined and, on the average, could be detected up to postoperative day 4.
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Group IV
Preoperative subacute non-Q-wave infarction was verified in all 5 patients by increased cTnI levels before induction of anesthesia. The diagnosis of Q-wave PMI in 3 patients and of no additional significant perioperative myocardial damage in 2 patients as established by cTnT and CKMB measurements was confirmed by the results of serial cTnI determination (data not shown).
Cutoff values/sensitivity and specificity of cTnI
For the discrimination between patients without and with PMI by one cTnI determination, cutoff values for different time points after aortic unclamping were calculated on the basis of cTnI concentrations measured in patients of group I (mean+2 S.D.). Using cutoff values of 6.5 ng/ml at 8 h, 9.8 ng/ml at 12 h, and 11.6 ng/ml at 24 h resulted in a diagnostic efficiency of 87.9, 94.4, and 97.8%, respectively. Especially, one cTnI value at 24 h had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.6%. The percental prediction for diagnosing PMI was 93.9%, whereas the predictive value for excluding myocardial infarction was 100%.
Correlations between cTnI values at 12 and 24 h after aortic unclamping and total cTnI release
cTnI levels in patients of groups IIII at 12 and 24 h after aortic unclamping were found to correlate with the respected calculated area-under-the-curve of the time frame 248 h. Spearman rank order coefficients were r=0.956 and r=0.990, respectively (in both cases P<0.0001). The estimated linear regression equations for both time points were: (cTnI 248 h) ng/mlxh=-180.191+75.725x(cTnI 12 h) ng/ml, and (cTnI 248 h) ng/mlxh=22.458+32.671x(cTnI 24 h) ng/ml. The calculated coefficients of determination for 12 h with R=0.830 and especially for 24 h with R=0.993 (
Fig. 4
) were high.
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| Discussion |
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In our study decisive criteria excluding PMI were cTnT levels strictly <1.0 ng/ml and an early peak pattern of CKMB catalytic concentrations (and CKMB mass concentrations as well) with a CKMB activity <20 U/l on the first postoperative day. These values fitted rather well both the standard definition of patients without PMI on the basis of CKMB activity [6] [7] and the results of serial measurements of cTnT by Hake and co-workers [19]. The electrocardiogram was mainly used for differentiation between non-transmural and transmural necrosis. Late echocardiography served to confirm the diagnosis of PMI in the presence of increased levels of cTnT and catalytic concentrations of CKMB. Otherwise, in patients with a newly reduced wall motion but borderline biochemical findings echocardiography proved less useful because of its limited power to differentiate between myocardial necrosis and myocardial stunning.
Diagnostic features of cTnI for patient classification
Out of the 119 patients, 113 (95.0%) could be classified without any problem. In 4 patients CKMB catalytic (and mass) concentrations did not concur with cTnT levels. In all these 4 cases cTnT values were confirmed by the results of serial cTnI measurements, thus reflecting lack of sufficient sensitivity and specificity of CKMB. Another 2 patients with known compensated chronic renal failure had slightly increased cTnT levels in the presence of low CKMB catalytic (and mass) concentrations. In both cases cTnI levels were low excluding PMI. Such a discordance between results for cTnT and cTnI in renal patients is well known from the literature
[23]
[24].
In patients without PMI, cTnI levels remained low, reaching peak values at 12 or 24 h after aortic unclamping. The relative increase in cTnI concentrations was 16.2±9.0 times the smallest concentration that can be distinguished from zero. This indicated a wide variation of myocardial damage being found in this group. Thus, cTnI seems to be well qualified to detect even small differences in myocardial damage in patients without PMI. This may be potentially useful in evaluating the efficacy of different techniques of perioperative myocardial management. In PMI patients, cTnI levels showed a rapid and significant increase. Peak values were reached at 24 h followed by a monoexponential decline. From 8 h after the beginning of reperfusion all three groups could be separated from each other by statistical significance. For differentiation between CABG patients without and with PMI, the acceptance of cutoff values for cTnI of 6.5 ng/ml at 8 h, 9.8 ng/ml at 12 h, and 11.6 ng/ml at 24 h resulted in a diagnostic efficiency of 88, 94, and 98%, respectively.
Comparison with previous studies
Similar first results have been reported in the literature. In a study comprising 65 CABG patients Bonnefoy and co-workers
[25] evaluated a cutoff value for cTnI of 10 ng/ml at 12 h after aortic unclamping. In a series of patients undergoing CABG or valve replacement, Alyanakian and co-workers
[26] proposed a cutoff value of 15 ng/ml. After an investigation of 117 CABG patients Jacquet and co-workers concluded, that a value of <10 ng/ml for cTnI at 8 h after surgery can exclude PMI with high probability (personal communication). All these results are based on the measurement of cTnI concentrations using the same two-site fluorometric enzyme immunoassay as in our study. However, it must be emphasized that a different method of cTnI determination resulted in lower peak values
[7].
Diagnostic features of cTnI for quantitation of perioperative myocardial damage
The negative prognostic implications of perioperative myocardial necrosis are determined by the number of myocytes irreversibly damaged. For quantitation of myocardial damage, simple integration of the timeconcentration curves of CKMB catalytic concentrations, for example, has been utilized successfully mainly in research trials
[6]. Serial marker pattern assessment in the early postoperative period is not routine practice, however. In our study cTnI levels at 24 h after aortic unclamping were found to correlate closely with the respective 248 h area-under-the-curve (R=0.993) making serial determinations unnecessary. In this context, a previous study demonstrating a significant relationship between cTnI release and myocardial infarction size is of special interest
[27].
A single cTnI value at 24 h reflects the approximate amount of myocardial damage. This measurement may allow a more precise description of the quality of myocardial management in a patient population than the traditional documentation of the percentage of PMI patients.
Clinical implications and conclusions
In summary, we conclude that cTnI qualifies as a useful tool to check on the quality of surgical work and the adequacy of the methods of perioperative myocardial management in use. This is because of (1) the availability of a quick diagnostic test with high specificity for myocardial tissue, (2) the high diagnostic efficiency of 94% at 12 h and 98% at 24 h, and (3) especially the opportunity to gain sufficient information by a single determination 24 h after aortic unclamping for diagnosis of PMI and quantitation of the amount of myocardial damage.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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| References |
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