Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in cattle with pericarditis

Evaluation of Current and Future Diagnostic and Prognostic Techniques for Traumatic Pericarditis in Cattle

Pericarditis in cattle can be classified as traumatic pericarditis (TP), idiopathic haemorrhagic, secondary to neoplasia or septic pericarditis due to haematogenous spread of organisms, such as Colibacilli or Pasturella. In cattle, pericardial disease most commonly develops from traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP). Bovine cardiac disease often has a poor prognosis, and this is worsened when clinical manifestations of heart failure are present. Euthanasia is the treatment of choice in many cases, but for pregnant or high value animals, treatment of disease is often the preferred option and an early diagnosis can provide a better prognosis in these cases. This chapter looks at the anatomy, physiology and presentation of TP. In addition, a more in depth look at cardiac troponin is presented alongside present and future diagnostic and prognostic methods, in addition to treatment options surrounding this clinically important problem.

Comparison of Two Commercially Available Immunoassays for the Measurement of Bovine Cardiac Troponin I in Cattle With Induced Myocardial Injury

Background: Multiple cardiac troponin I (cTnI) immunoassays are commercially available. Overall, assays have not been standardized, and inter-assay differences in the detection of the analyte cardiac troponin I can be clinically relevant.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of the commercially available Abbott i-STAT®1 cTnI immunoassay (i-STAT) and the previously validated ADVIA Centaur TnI-Ultra immunoassay (Centaur) in cattle.

Hypothesis: There will be significant differences in bovine serum cTnI results measured by the Centaur and i-STAT methods.

Animals: Ten dairy cows with experimentally induced myocardial injury due to monensin administration. Thirty apparently healthy dairy cows with no history of monensin exposure served as controls.

Methods: Blood was collected at various time points after administration of a single dose of monensin (20 to 50 mg/kg) via orogastric tube. A total of 112 blood samples were collected. Cardiac TnI concentration was analyzed with the two methods and the association between methods analyzed via linear regression. Bland-Altman analysis to evaluate agreement between methods was performed on samples divided into groups (cTnI < 1.0 ng/mL and cTnI ≥ 1.0 ng/mL).

Results: Analyzer results were linearly correlated with each other (R² = 0.931). Samples with cTnI concentrations <1.0 ng/mL had a bias of −0.13 ± 0.20 ng/mL and samples with cTnI concentrations >1.0 ng/mL had a bias of −9.81 ± 13.26 ng/mL.

Conclusions and clinical importance: The results of this study reveal that cTnI concentrations determined with the i-STAT are systematically lower compared to the concentrations determined by the Centaur.

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) and thrombomodulin in bovine traumatic pericarditis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomarkers of cardiac damage such as heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), and thrombomodulin (TM) for the detection and prognosis of bovine traumatic pericarditis (TP). Spontaneous TP was diagnosed on the basis of history, clinical signs, complete blood count, glutaraldehyde test, ultrasonography, and pericardiocentesis findings. H-FABP, PTX-3 and TM levels in serum were compared between 25 Holstein cows diagnosed with spontaneous TP and 10 healthy control cows using bovine-specific ELISA kits. Serum H-FABP in cattle with TP was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the control group and positively correlated with cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB), PTX-3 and TM (r = 0.683, 0.342, 0.448 and 0.424, respectively; P < 0.05). The serum levels of PTX-3 (P < 0.05) and TM (P < 0.05) in cattle with TP were significantly higher than in the control group. Cardiac damage biomarkers H-FABP, PTX-3 and TM may be useful in the diagnosis of bovine TP.

Cardiac troponin I in healthy newborn goat kids and in goat kids with cardiac nutritional muscular dystrophy

This study was designed to establish serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in healthy newborn goat kids and in those with cardiac nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD). Thirty-five single full-term newborn goat kids (20 males and 15 females; age: 6.1 ± 3.5 h; weight 3.4 ± 0.68 kg), together with their respective mothers (Group 1; G1) were enrolled consecutively. Thirty-one goat kids (age: 9.5 ± 4.3 days) with NMD, together with 20 control goat kids (age: 7.8 ± 4.3 days) were also included in this study (Group 2; G2). Blood samples were collected from G1 within 12 h of birth and from G2 on admission. Serum samples were collected and analysed for cTnI. In G1, the mean serum concentration of cTnI in goat kids was 0.290 ± 0.37 ng/mL, with no statistically significant difference between male and female kids (P = 0.61). The mean cTnI concentration in the does was 0.017 ± 0.04, ng/mL. Serum values of cTnI in the goat kids and in their respective mothers differed significantly (P = 0.0001). In G2, the mean cTnI concentration was 0.02 ± 0.05 ng/mL in the control and 11.18 ± 20.07 ng/mL in the diseased goat kids, with a statistically significant difference between diseased and control goat kids (P = 0.017). Serum concentrations of cTnI are higher in goat kids than in their respective mothers. In conclusion, the cTnI assay appears to be a sensitive and specific marker for myocardial injury in goat kids.

The cardiac biomarkers troponin I and CK-MB in nonpregnant and pregnant goats, goats with normal birth, goats with prolonged birth, and goats with pregnancy toxemia

This study was designed to establish the reference range for the cardiac biomarkers cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) in nonpregnant and pregnant goats, goats with normal birth, goats with prolonged birth associated with dystocia, and goats with pregnancy toxemia. Fifty-seven does, categorized into three groups (G1 to G3), were used. These groups were comprised of 20 healthy does (G1), 19 does with prolonged birth (G2), and 18 does with pregnancy toxemia (G3). Six blood samples (T0 to T5) were collected from G1. The first blood sample (T0) was taken before insemination, the second (T1) at the first trimester, the third (T2) at the second trimester, the fourth (T3) at the last trimester, the fifth (T4) within 12 h of parturition, and the sixth blood sample (T5) was taken 10 days after parturition. A sample of blood was obtained from G2 and G3 upon admission to the hospital. At T0 to T3, no cTnI was detected in any of the 20 does in G1. At parturition (T4), seven of the 20 goats (35%) exhibited slightly elevated cTnI concentrations (range, 0.01 to 0.04 ng/mL). Ten days after parturition (T5), cTnI was not detected in any of the 20 goats. In 10 of the 19 goats (53%) with prolonged birth (G2), the cTnI was significantly elevated to a mean value of 0.094 ± 0.155 ng/mL, with a maximum value of 0.61 ng/mL. In 16 of the 18 goats (89%) with pregnancy toxemia (G3), the cTnI was significantly elevated to a value of 0.852 ± 1.472 ng/mL, with a maximum value of 5.219 ng/mL. Comparing the values of CK-MB in G1 (T0 to T5), G2 and G3 revealed nonsignificant differences. Only a slight elevation in the CK-MB levels in goats with prolonged birth (G2) was noted. We concluded that in healthy does, the cardiac biomarker cTnI is not elevated during normal pregnancy. The serum cTnI concentration may be elevated in a number of goats at normal vaginal or cesarean delivery. Finally, cTnI is significantly elevated in does with pregnancy toxemia and could be used as a prognostic indicator in such cases. The cardiac biomarker CK-MB is not a good indicator of parturition stress in does. Serum cTnI is elevated in goats with pregnancy toxemia, indicating some degree of cardiac dysfunction.

Decreased expression of cardiac troponin C is associated with cardiac lesions in Amorimia exotropica poisoned cattle

The plants which cause sudden death of cattle in Brazil occupy a leading position for losses in the cattle industry. Amorimia exotropica is one of the plants pertaining to this group. Diagnostic findings in these cases may be inconclusive; further knowledge is necessary. This paper identifies cardiac lesions through anti-cardiac troponin C (cTnC) immunehistochemistry performed in tissues from cattle poisoned after consumption of A.exotropica in southern Brazil. Heart fragments from nine A. exotropica-poisoned cattle were studied immunohistochemically using anti-human cTnC as the primary antibody. In the hearts from all of the poisoned cattle, there was a sharp decrease in the cTnC expression level in the cytoplasm of groups of cardiomyocytes. A significant decrease in anti-cTnC immunoreactivity occurred particularly in degenerated or necrotic cardiomyocytes. Occasional groups of cells showed complete loss of immunolabeling. In the remaining intact cardiomyocytes from poisoned cattle and in cardiomyocytes from six cattle that died from other causes there was intense cytoplasmic staining.

Cardiac troponin I in calves with congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND

The association between plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and the magnitude of cardiac enlargement in calves with congenital heart disease (CHD) are not well defined.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between plasma cTnI concentrations and cardiac size in healthy calves and calves with CHD.

ANIMALS

A total of 19 healthy calves (control) and 12 Holstein calves with CHD (patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot or double outlet right ventricle).

METHODS

Case control study. All animals underwent a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic study to document cardiac health or presence of CHD. The vertebral heart score (VHS) was determined in each animal using right lateral survey radiographic images. Blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture and plasma cTnI concentration and creatine kinase (CK) activity were determined by a 3rd generation immunoassay and an automatic biochemical analyzer, respectively. Groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U-test and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Calves with CHD had significantly larger VHS values and higher plasma cTnI concentrations (P < .001) compared to control. Creatine kinase activity was not different between the control and CHD groups of calves. Diagnostic cutoffs of VHS and plasma cTnI for discrimination of groups were 8.9 vertebrae and 0.035 ng/mL, respectively. The cTnI concentration in plasma was significantly correlated with VHS (r (2) =0.512, P < .001).

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Our results suggest that determination of plasma cTnI concentrations in calves with clinical signs compatible with CHD might prove useful as a guide to quantify cardiac remodeling associated with increased cardiac size.

Validation of a commercially available immunoassay for the measurement of bovine cardiac troponin I

BACKGROUND

Commercially available cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assays developed for use in humans have not yet been validated for use in cattle.

HYPOTHESES

The ADVIA Centaur TnI-Ultra immunoassay can be used for the detection of bovine cTnI. In healthy cattle, serum cTnI is undetectable or is present only in trace amounts.

METHODS

Purified bovine cTnI and cTnI-free bovine serum were used for the evaluation of assay performance including intra- and inter-assay precision, sensitivity, interference, linearity, and recovery. Effects of storage at 23, 4, -20, and -80 degrees C for 2 days, and at -20 and -80 degrees C for 7 and 14 days and repeated freeze-thaw cycles on recovery of cTnI were analyzed. Serum cTnI concentrations in 30 healthy dairy cows were determined.

RESULTS

Intra- and inter-assay precisions (mean +/- SD) were 4.48 +/- 2.26 and 13.36 +/- 6.59%, respectively. The assay demonstrated linearity at 0.5, 2, 15, and 30 ng/mL cTnI. Mean recovery was 100.81, 85.26, 87.72, and 114.42%, respectively. Skeletal muscle homogenate added to serum of known cTnI concentration did not alter the concentration of the analyte (P > .05). Concentration of cTnI significantly decreased when samples were stored at 4 and 23 degrees C for 2 days (P < .05). Repeated freeze-thaw cycles and storage at -20 degrees C for 7 days had no significant influence on cTnI concentration (P > .05). Serum cTnI concentration in healthy cattle was <or=0.03 ng/mL.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

ADVIA Centaur can be used reliably for the detection of serum cTnI concentration in cattle.

Traumatic pericarditis in cattle: clinical, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium with accumulation of serous or fibrinous inflammatory products. In cattle, it is almost always attributable to a reticular foreign body that has penetrated the reticular wall, diaphragm and pericardial sac. The lead signs of pericarditis are tachycardia, muffled heart sounds, asynchronous abnormal heart sounds, distension of the jugular veins and submandibular, brisket and ventral abdominal oedema. The glutaraldehyde test is an important diagnostic tool because it is positive in >90% of affected cattle. Other common laboratory findings are leukocytosis and hyperfibrinogenaemia (indicating inflammation), and elevation of liver enzyme activity (reflecting hepatic congestion). Radiographs of the thorax and reticulum often show a foreign body cranial to the reticulum. In the majority of cases, massive fibrinopurulent adhesions obscure the cardiophrenic angle, cardiac silhouette and ventral diaphragm. Ultrasonography is the method of choice for diagnosis and characterisation of pericardial effusion. Echogenic deposits and strands of fibrin are seen on the epicardium, and the ventricles are compressed by the effusion. Severe pleural effusion is usually evident. In cattle with distension of the jugular veins and tachycardia, the differential diagnosis includes right-sided cardiac insufficiency attributable to other causes. Distension of the jugular veins without signs of right-sided cardiac insufficiency may occur with obstruction or compression of the cranial vena cava. The prognosis is poor, and pericardiocentesis or pericardiotomy are inadequate methods of treatment. Thus, prompt and humane euthanasia is indicated for cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis. Because a definitive diagnosis of traumatic reticuloperitonitis is not always possible based on clinical signs alone, radiography and ultrasonography of the thorax and reticulum are indicated in doubtful cases.

Cardiac troponin is the most effective translational safety biomarker for myocardial injury in cardiotoxicity

There is an overwhelming weight of evidence that certifies cardiac troponin (cTn) as the preferred, defacto, translational, safety biomarker for myocardial injury in cardiotoxicity. As well as being the gold standard for cardiac injury in man, it has been widely used for clinical assessment and monitoring of cardiac toxicity in humans being treated for cancer. Furthermore, several dozen preclinical published studies have directly confirmed its effectiveness in laboratory animals for assessment of cardiotoxicity. It is gradually being reverse translated from human into animal use as a safety biomarker. Its use is especially merited whenever there is any safety signal indicating potential cardiotoxicity and its required inclusion as a routine biomarker in preclinical safety studies seems on the horizon. There are some considerations that are unique to use of cTn assays in animals. Lack of awareness of these has, historically, significantly inhibited the introduction of cTn as a safety biomarker in preclinical toxicology. Firstly, cross-species reactivity is usually but not always high. Secondly, there is a background of cardiac injury that needs to be controlled for, including spontaneous cardiomyopathy in Sprague Dawley rats, and inappropriate blood collection methods. Also, there are faster kinetics of clearance in rats than for humans. Also, coincident muscle injury is frequent with cardiotoxicity and requires a skeletal muscle biomarker. Because cTn assays were developed for detection of gross cardiac necrosis, such as occurs with myocardial infarct, the more sensitive assays should be used for preclinical studies. However, analytic sensitivity is higher for standard preclinical studies than for clinical diagnostic testing because of use of concurrent controls and use of batch analysis that eliminates interassay variability. No other biomarker of myocardial injury comes close to cTn in effectiveness, including CK-MB, LDH-1 and 2, myoglobin, and FABP3. In addition to the use of cTn for monitoring active myocardial degeneration, there is growing evidence that measurements of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) may be effective for monitoring drug-induced left ventricular dysfunction.