CARDIAC TROPONIN-T IN SERUM AFTER SKELETA L-MUSCLE INJURY

A 36 year-old patient undergoing neuroleptic treatment developed a rha bdomyolysis after physical exercise. The activity of the creatinkinase exceeded 10,000 U/l. Without any indication of a myocardial injury, a marked increase of serum cardiac troponin t (cTnT) could be observed (>4 mu g/l; normal: < 0.1 mu g/l). The renal function was not impaired by the rhabdomyolysis. The slight crossreactivity of the cTnT-antibod y used in the cTnT assay with sceletal TnT (smTnT) or a reexpression o f cTnT in sceletal muscle come into question for the increased cTnT le vels. We concluded that in some patients with rhabdomyolysis cTnT is n ot appropiate to exclude myocardial infarction.