Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cardiac troponin levels in dogs with fluid around the heart
By Shaw, Scott P et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cardiac troponins I and T in dogs with pericardial effusion.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with fluid around their hearts (pericardial effusion) were tested for two heart markers, cTnI and cTnT, to see if they could help identify the cause of the fluid. Among the 37 dogs, some had a serious cancer called hemangiosarcoma (HSA), while others had idiopathic pericardial effusion, which means the cause was unknown. The results showed that dogs with HSA had much higher levels of cTnI compared to those with idiopathic effusion. This suggests that measuring cTnI could help vets determine if the fluid is due to HSA or another cause, potentially guiding treatment options.
People also search for: dog pericardial effusion symptoms · hemangiosarcoma in dogs treatment · elevated troponin levels in dogs
Abstract
Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) are sensitive and specific markers for myocardial ischemia and necrosis. Dogs with pericardial effusion frequently have myocardial ischemia and necrosis, and these changes are more severe in dogs with hemangiosarcoma (HSA). We investigated the utility of using serum cTnI and cTnT concentrations to identify the idiopathic pericardial effusion from that associated with HSA. Blood samples for measurement of cTnI and cTnT concentrations were collected before pericardiocentesis in 37 dogs with pericardial effusion. Eighteen dogs had a mass consistent with HSA, 6 dogs had idiopathic pericardial effusion, 1 dog had mesothelioma, and 1 dog had a heart base tumor. No final diagnosis was achieved for 11 dogs. Dogs with pericardial effusion had significantly higher serum concentrations of cTnI (P < .001) but not cTnT (P = .16) than did normal dogs. Dogs with HSA had significantly higher concentrations of cTnI (2.77 ng/dL; range: 0.09-47.18 ng/dL) than did dogs with idiopathic pericardial effusion (0.05 ng/dL; range: 0.03-0.09 ng/dL) (P < .001). There was no difference in the concentration of cTnT between dogs with HSA and those with idiopathic pericardial effusion (P = .08). Measurement of cTnI may be useful in helping to distinguish between idiopathic pericardial effusion and pericardial effusion caused by HSA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15188818/