CARDIAC TROPONIN-T IN HEMODIALYZED PATIENTS

We studied the extent and pattern of increased cardiac troponin T (cTn T) concentrations in 174 hemodialyzed patients, cTnT concentrations we re above 0.10 and 0.20 mu g/L in 29% and 10% of patients, respectively . In patients without acute coronary disease, the highest value observ ed was 3.2 mu g/L. cTnT increased after dialysis in 10 of 12 patients, with a mean increase of 0.14 mu g/L. In 125 patients with samples tak en at 1-month intervals, 34% of patients showed differences <20%, but 16% of patients had differences greater than twofold. Serum creatinine and urea, adequacy of dialysis, and duration on dialysis did not expl ain increased concentrations, Sixty percent of 57 diabetic patients ha d increased concentrations; the patients with multiple diabetic compli cations had the highest positivity. cTnT was increased in all eight pa tients with complications of neuropathy, retinopathy, coronary, and pe ripheral vascular disease; in 80% of patients with neuropathy; in 77% with peripheral vascular disease; in 73% with retinopathy; and in 70% with coronary artery disease.