TROPONIN-T LEVELS IN THE CORD-BLOOD OF HEALTHY TERM NEONATES

Troponin T (TnT) is recently being considered to be an important diagn ostic marker of myocardial damage in adults, but this marker has not y et been used in neonates. The present study was designed to determine the normal level of cardiac TnT in the cord blood of healthy term neon ates. Cardiac troponin T concentration in cord blood was measured in 1 5 healthy term neonates using commercial kit (Enzymun-Test System, Boe hringer, Mannheim). TnT serum concentration was 0.05+/-0.04 mu g/l in 10 of 15 babies whereas in the remaining 5 haemolysed samples its conc entration was elevated (mean 0.19+/-0.07 mu g/l). It is important to c onsider that incidental haemolysis of blood samples can mimic patholog ical elevation of TnT by interfering with the assay.