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AIM: The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of balloon inflation during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on markers of myocardial damage. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-five patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were evaluated with serum creatine kinase MB and cardiospecific troponin T before and 1 and 4 days after the procedure. On day 1, 28% of the patients had increased cardiospecific troponin T values and 18% had increased creatine kinase MB values. On day 4, 24% had increased cardiospecific troponin T values, whereas all creatine kinase MB values were normal. A high degree of correlation between creatine kinase MB and cardiospecific troponin T on day 1, as well as between both markers on day 1 and cardiospecific troponin T on day 4 were found. The increased levels of cardiospecific troponin T on day 4 was significantly correlated with the total balloon inflation time (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We conclude that irreversible myocardial damage, as evidenced by increased cardiospecific troponin T values on day 4, occurs in an appreciable number of patients during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and that this damage is strongly correlated with the total balloon inflation time.
Odd Johansen (Thu,) studied this question.