Evalnation of Cardiac Troponin "T" and Some Acute Phase Reactant Proteins in Unstable Angina

Abstract

Acute myocardial infarction and unstable angma pectoris are the most dramatic manifestations of coronary heart disease. They are of enormous epidemiological and clinical importance. In the majority, the established criteria permit easily diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, however additional diagnostic tools would be beneficial in the very early phase of myocardial infarction and in cases with difficult differential diagnosis. Also risk stratification in unstable angina has been unsatisfactory up till now.

A great development in the assay methods of cardiac contractile proteins was observed. Recently, among the new markers examined is cardiac troponin-T (cTn-T) isoform. It has been found that cTn-T is not present in the serum of normal population or present in negligible amount.

In severe ischemia, after loss of myocardial cell membrane integrity, . proteins of the contractile apparatus, such as the regulatory contractile

proteins, troponin-T, are released into the circulation. Circulating cTn-T is therefore a highly sensitive and specific marker of myocardial cell injury.

Atherosclerosis is an underlying pathologic process of coronary artery disease. It is noticed that inflammation and intimal injury are primary mediators in the development of coronary artery disease.