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Home / Equine Research Bank / Aust Vet J / Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with cardi...
Australian veterinary journal2012; 90(9); 351-357; doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2012.00970.x

Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with cardiac disease.

Abstract: To measure the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in horses and determine whether it could be used in the diagnosis of myocardial disease, as well as determining the association between cTnI and survival. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Methods: Physical examination, echocardiography, telemetric electrocardiography and postmortem were used to diagnose cardiac disease. Diagnoses were grouped as myocardial disease, structural heart disease or lone arrhythmia. Blood samples were collected at admission for cTnI analysis and the results were compared with those for 18 healthy horses. Results: In total, 49 horses were admitted with cardiac disease. Elevated cTnI concentration (>0.03 ng/mL) was observed in a greater proportion of horses with myocardial disease (7/7), compared with healthy horses (0/18; P < 0.0001), horses with structural heart disease (7/25; P = 0.001), and horses with a lone arrhythmia (2/17; P = 0.0001). The median cTnI concentration for horses with myocardial disease was 17.5 ng/mL (range 0.78-49.87 ng/mL), which was higher than in the healthy horses (0.01 ng/mL, range 0.01-0.03 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). Of the 49 horses with cardiac disease, the median cTnI concentration for non-survivors (0.28 ng/mL, range 0.01-49.87 ng/mL) was higher than for survivors (0.01 ng/mL, range 0.01-30.31 ng/mL; P = 0.0035). However, the proportion of surviving horses with an elevated cTnI (10/39, 26%) was not significantly different from the proportion of non-surviving horses with an elevated cTnI (6/10, 60%; P = 0.060). Conclusions: cTnI is elevated in horses with myocardial disease and elevated to a lesser degree in some horses with structural heart disease or lone arrhythmias. The association between cTnI concentration and survival was not clear.
© 2012 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2012 Australian Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2012-07-27 PubMed ID: 22928683DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2012.00970.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study investigates the use of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in the diagnosis of heart diseases in horses. They found that the concentration was generally higher in horses with myocardial disease, suggesting its potential use for diagnostic purposes.

Research Methodology

  • The study was designed as a prospective, observational investigation.
  • Diagnostic methods such as physical examination, echocardiography, telemetric electrocardiography, and postmortem were employed to detect the presence of heart diseases in horses. The diseases were categorized into myocardial disease, structural heart disease, or lone arrhythmia.
  • Blood samples of the horses were collected upon their admission for the measurement of cTnI levels. These levels were then compared with those of 18 healthy horses.

Results and Findings

  • The study included 49 horses diagnosed with cardiac diseases.
  • An elevated cTnI concentration of more than 0.03 ng/mL was noticed in most of the horses with myocardial disease (7 out of 7), illustrating a clear contrast with the healthy horses (0 out of 18). Comparatively few of the horses with structural heart diseases (7 out of 25) or lone arrhythmia (2 out of 17) had elevated cTnI concentrations.
  • The median cTnI concentration for horses with myocardial disease peaked at 17.5 ng/mL (range 0.78-49.87 ng/mL), considerably higher than the healthy horses (0.01 ng/mL, range 0.01-0.03 ng/mL).

Survival Rate and cTnI Concentration

  • Among the 49 horses with heart diseases, the median cTnI concentration was noticeably higher for non-surviving horses as compared to the surviving ones.
  • Despite these differences, no statistically significant difference was observed between the proportions of surviving and non-surviving horses having elevated cTnI concentrations.

Conclusions

  • cTnI concentration is often elevated among horses with myocardial diseases. Some increase in its levels can also be observed in horses with structural heart diseases or lone arrhythmias.
  • There was no clear link established in this study between cTnI concentration and the survival rate of horses with cardiac disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Nath LC, Anderson GA, Hinchcliff KW, Savage CJ. (2012). Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with cardiac disease. Aust Vet J, 90(9), 351-357. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2012.00970.x

Publication

Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
NlmUniqueID: 0370616
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 90
Issue: 9
Pages: 351-357

Researcher Affiliations

Nath, L C
  • University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia. lc_fennell@yahoo.com.au
Anderson, G A
    Hinchcliff, K W
      Savage, C J

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Biomarkers / blood
        • Cardiomyopathies / blood
        • Cardiomyopathies / diagnosis
        • Cardiomyopathies / veterinary
        • Case-Control Studies
        • Electrocardiography / veterinary
        • Female
        • Heart Diseases / blood
        • Heart Diseases / diagnosis
        • Heart Diseases / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases / blood
        • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
        • Horses
        • Male
        • Prospective Studies
        • Sensitivity and Specificity
        • Troponin I / blood

        Citations

        This article has been cited 12 times.
        1. Biondi V, Landi A, Pugliese M, Merola G, Passantino A. Inflammatory Response and Electrocardiographic Examination in Horses Vaccinated against Equine Herpesvirus (Ehv-1). Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 19;12(6).
          doi: 10.3390/ani12060778pubmed: 35327175google scholar: lookup
        2. Nath LC, Elliott AD, Weir J, Curl P, Rosanowski SM, Franklin S. Incidence, recurrence, and outcome of postrace atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred horses. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Mar;35(2):1111-1120.
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        3. Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW. Analytical validation of cardiac troponin I assays in horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2018 Mar;30(2):226-232.
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        4. Shields E, Seiden-Long I, Massie S, Passante S, Leguillette R. Analytical validation and establishment of reference intervals for a 'high-sensitivity' cardiac troponin-T assay in horses. BMC Vet Res 2016 Jun 13;12(1):104.
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        6. Van Der Vekens N, Decloedt A, Ven S, De Clercq D, van Loon G. Cardiac troponin I as compared to troponin T for the detection of myocardial damage in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):348-54.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.12530pubmed: 25619522google scholar: lookup
        7. Tharwat M, Al-Sobayil F. Influence of the cardiac glycoside digoxin on cardiac troponin I, acid-base and electrolyte balance, and haematobiochemical profiles in healthy donkeys (Equus asinus). BMC Vet Res 2014 Mar 12;10:64.
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        10. Uztimür M, Ünal CN, Sağiroğlu M. Evaluation of the Use of Different Sensitive Cardiac Biomarkers in Determining Myocardial Damage in Cows With Subclinical and Clinical Ketoses. Vet Med Sci 2025 May;11(3):e70390.
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        11. Mehrazin H, Sakha M, Safi S. Effects of Age, Sex, and Exercise on Measurement of Serum CTnI Levels and Some Parameters Related to the Cardiovascular Capacity of Caspian Horses. Vet Med Sci 2025 Mar;11(2):e70202.
          doi: 10.1002/vms3.70202pubmed: 40065591google scholar: lookup
        12. Foreman JH, Tennent-Brown BS, Oyama MA, Sisson DD. Plasma Cardiac Troponin-I Concentration in Normal Horses and in Horses with Cardiac Abnormalities. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 3;15(1).
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