Cardiac Troponin-t in Acute Rheumatic Fever

Objective: Acute rheumatic fever is still one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity due to heart disease in developing countries. Carditis is the most important manifestation of the disease and there are still difficulties in diagnosis. Cardiac troponin-T measurement has been found to be valuable in recognition of cardiac injury in various disease states. We investigated the cardiac troponin-T levels in patients with acute rheumatic fever and searched for a difference between patients with and without carditis. Methods: The study group consisted of 21 patients; 12 were girls and 9 were boys. Their age ranged between 6-16.5 years (mean±SD=11.9±2.5 yrs). Seven patients had only arthritis; 10 patients had both carditis and arthritis; and 4 patients had chorea as clinical diagnosis. Echocardiographic examination showed aortic and mitral regurgitation in 7, mitral regurgitation in 8 and aortic regurgitation in one patient. Serum levels of creatin phosphokinase (CK) and MB (CK-MB) fraction and cardiac troponin-T were measured during the diagnosis before the initiation of treatment in all patients. None of the patients had clinically overt congestive heart failure. Results: It was observed that CK and CK-MB levels were increased in one patient with carditis and arthritis while cardiac troponin-T levels were below the measurable levels in all patients. Conclusion: We concluded that cardiac troponin-T measurement has no value in detecting the presence of carditis in rheumatic fever. This may result from absence of myocardial necrosis despite the presence of intense myocardial inflammation. K e y W o r d s : Troponin, Rheumatic fever, Carditis, Echocardiography IN T R O D U C T IO N Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is still prevalent and one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity due to acquired heart disease in developing countries (1). The Jones criteria described by T. Duckett Jones in 1944; revised in 1962 and updated in 1992 is the only method for clinical diagnosis (2, 3). Although these criteria provide easy clinical judgement; there are some difficult cases in which clear cut diagnosis is not possible (4). A laboratory test specific for the disease has not yet been found. Carditis is the most important manifestation for long term prognosis. The presence of carditis is diagnosed by auscultation findings and this may not be accurate enough. Echocardiographic examination in all patients with rheumatic fever may provide better decision making, but this may not be possible, especially in the underprivileged regions of developing countries. (Accepted 16 February, 2001) Marmara Medical Journal 2001 ;14(2):84-88 84 Correspondance to: Figen Akalın, M.D. e.mail address: [email protected] Troponin-T in rheumatic fever Cardiac troponins are structural proteins that take place in actin myosin complex and play a role in myocardial contraction. The troponin molecule has three components: cardiac troponin-T (cTN-T) is the tropomyosine binding part, cardiac troponin-l (cTN-l) is the inhibitor part and cardiac troponin-C (cTN-C) is the calcium binding part (6). These proteins are found in the serum of patients after myocardial cell injury. Since the troponins in the skeletal and cardiac muscle cells have different molecular structures, the measurement of serum cardiac troponin levels gives specific information about myocardial necrosis (6). Troponin-T and troponin-l are routinely used in adult patients with acute coronary syndromes and they are found to be more specific than creatin kinase and MB Isoenzyme, previously used as biochemical markers of myocardial injury (6, 7). Serum troponin-T levels are also found to be elevated in patients with myocarditis (8). Carditis of rheumatic fever is a pancarditis and involves the three layers of the heart including the myocardium (9). If a marker of myocardial involvement was found, it would be quite helpful for the management and follow-up of these patients. We considered whether troponin-T could provide such information and investigated the serum level of troponin-T in patients with ARF with and without carditis. M A TER IA LS A N D M E T H O D S The study group consisted of all patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever according to Jones criteria in the Marmara University School of Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology Sub­ department, between January 1998 and December 1999. After detailed history taking and physical examination, a telecardiogram, electrocardiogram, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, throat culture and antistreptolysine O titers were obtained in all patients. Serum creatin kinase (CK) and creatin kinase MB fraction were measured and serum samples were separated and frozen at 70°C during diagnosis before the initiation of antiinflammatory treatment. All the patients underwent échocardiographie examination. Echocardiography was performed by using ATL Ultramark 9 machine equipped with 2.5, 3.5 and 5 MHz transducers. The presence of carditis was determined on clinical grounds, by auscultation of a new onset murmur suggestive of mitral or aortic regurgitation and/or pericardial friction rub or clinical evidence of heart failure. Patients with échocardiographie evidence of mitral regurgitation without auscultation findings were not accepted as having active carditis. Serum troponin-T levels were measured after collection of a sufficient number of serum samples by using Elecsys Boehringer Mannheim ELISA kit and Elecsys 1010 analyser. Serum samples were also taken from the healthy children evaluated for non-cardiac disease while drawing blood for routine test as a control group, and measurements were performed at the same time. Troponin-T levels of the patients with and without carditis and the control group were compared. CK and CK-MB levels of the patients with and without carditis were compared by using MannWitney U test.