CARDIAC TROPONIN-T IN NEWBORN-INFANTS WITH TRANSIENT MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA

Cardiac troponin T (TnT) is a regulatory contractile protein whose det ection in the circulation has been shown to be a specific and sensitiv e marker for ischemic myocardial cell injury both in adult and pediatr ic populations. We measured serum cardiac TnT in 15 consecutive full-t erm neonates presenting with bradycardia and electrocardiographic feat ures of transient myocardial ischemia. Their median TnT concentrations (0.5 mu g/l, range 0.01-0.37) were statistically comparable to our la boratory reference values for healthy term newborns (median 0.17 mu g/ l, range 0.01-0.42) (p = NS), but significantly higher with respect to our reference limits for healthy adults (median 0.01 mu g/l, range 0. 01-0.1) (p < 0.05). Our data demonstrate high TnT levels in neonates d uring the first days of life with respect to adults and similar TnT co ncentrations in term infants with and without TMI.