MYOCARDIAL DAMAGE DURING PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY AS EVIDENCED BY TROPONIN-T MEASUREMENTS

Aim The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of balloon i nflation during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on mark ers of myocardial damage. Methods and results Seventy-five patients un dergoing 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, Cn day 1, 28% of the pati ents had increased cardiospecific troponin T values and 18% had increa sed creatine kinase MB values. On day 4, 24% had increased cardiospeci fic troponin T values, whereas all creatine kinase MB values were norm al. A high degree of correlation between creatine kinase MB and cardio specific 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 leve ls of cardiospecific troponin T on day 4 was significantly correlated with the total balloon inflation time (P<0.001). Conclusion We conclud e that irreversible myocardial damage, as evidenced by increased cardi ospecific 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 inflat ion time.