Elevated Cardiac Troponin T in Patients with COPD

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is common in patients with COPD. It has been found that a considerable number of 
patients who are hospitalized for AECOPD have elevated cardiac troponin, suggests there is subclinical 
myocardial damage in AECOPD, but little is known in stable COPD patients. Hence, the aims of the study 
were to compare troponin T among patients with stable COPD and AECOPD with healthy controls and 
assess the association between pulmonary function and plasma troponin T level. Samples were obtained 
from 68 stable COPD and 72 AECOPD patients and 48 healthy controls. Plasma concentrations of troponin 
T were measured by ELISA. Pulmonary function testing was performed in all patients and healthy controls. 
We found that troponin T levels were significantly higher in both stable COPD and AECOPD patients as 
compared with healthy controls [19.7±1.3 and 27.6±3.4, 4.3±0.5μg/L, P<0.01]. The troponin T levels were 
also elevated associated with the severity of disease. Our data indicate that low-grade myocardial damage 
seems to be present not only in AECOPD but also in stable COPD patients. We need to understand the 
pathogenic mechanisms in COPD and its comorbidities in order to be able to develop new strategies for the 
prevention and treatment of this condition.