Plasma Elimination of Cardiac Troponin I in End-Stage Renal Disease

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively compared the decline of cardiac troponin I after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with normal renal function and those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who were receiving hemodialysis. METHODS: We reviewed 257 cases with a discharge diagnosis of AMI or AMI plus ESRD; 222 were excluded due to inadequate data or evidence of ongoing myocardial necrosis. Decline of cardiac troponin I values was followed over a mean (+/- SD) of 2.75 +/- 1.2 days in patients with normal renal function and 2.7 +/- 2.0 days in ESRD patients. Average apparent half-life and apparent elimination rate constant of troponin I were compared between groups. RESULTS: Of 35 patients with AMI, 16 had ESRD and were receiving hemodialysis, and 19 had normal renal function. Mean (+/- SD) apparent half-lives of troponin I in the ESRD group and the group with normal renal function were 1.48 +/- 0.77 days and 1.08 +/- 0.63 days, respectively. The mean apparent elimination rate constants of cardiac troponin I were 0.64 +/- 0.33 days(-1) in the ESRD group and 0.91 +/- 0.55 days(-1) in the group with normal renal function. CONCLUSION: The difference in apparent half-life and apparent elimination rate constant of cardiac troponin I between patients with normal renal function and those with ESRD is not statistically significant.