Biomarkers in medicine
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The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction currently rests on the measurement of troponin, a biomarker of myocardial necrosis. Unfortunately, the current generation troponin assays detect troponin only 6-9 h after symptom onset. This can lead to a delay in diagnosis and also excessive resource utilization when triaging patients who, ultimately, have noncardiac causes of acute chest pain. ⋯ These include markers of myocardial injury, such as myoglobin, heart-type fatty acid binding protein, glycogen phosphorylase BB; hemostatic markers, such as D-dimer; and finally, inflammatory markers, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9. Recently, highly sensitive troponin assays have reported an early sensitivity for myocardial infarction of greater than 95%, although at a cost of reduced specificity. The optimal strategy with which to use these novel biomarkers and highly sensitive troponins has yet to be determined, and interpretation of their results in light of thorough clinical assessment remains essential.
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Biomarkers in medicine · Jun 2010
ReviewClinical application of sensitive cardiac troponin assays: potential and limitations.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the major cause of death worldwide. Cardiac troponins (cTns) are structural proteins, unique to the heart, that currently form the cornerstone of the AMI diagnosis. The major limitation of standard cTn assays is a sensitivity deficit at presentation caused by a delayed increase of circulating levels. ⋯ The differential diagnosis of a small amount of myocardial injury and, therefore, mild elevation of cTn is broad, and includes acute and chronic disorders. The differential diagnosis of a large amount of myocardial injury and, therefore, substantial elevation of cTn is much smaller and largely restricted to AMI, myocarditis and takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The aim of this article is to guide clinicians in the use of sensitive cTn.