High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T for early prediction of evolving non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome and negative troponin results on admission.

BACKGROUND

We sought to determine the diagnostic performance of the new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay for early detection of non-ST-segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

METHODS

We enrolled patients with retrospectively confirmed unstable angina or NSTEMI and an initially negative cTnT concentration and compared the performance of baseline concentrations and serial changes in concentration within 3 and 6 h. Percentage change criteria included >or=20% delta change and ROC-optimized value.

RESULTS

Based on the standard fourth-generation cTnT result of >or=0.03 microg/L, an evolving NSTEMI was diagnosed in 26 patients, and 31 patients were classified as having unstable angina. With the use of the hs-cTnT assay at the 99th-percentile cutoff, the percentage of NSTEMI cases detected increased gradually from 61.5% on presentation to 100% within 6 h, and the overall number of MI diagnoses increased by 34.6% (35 vs 26 cases). A delta change >or=20% or >or=ROC-optimized value of >117% within 3 h or >or=243% within 6 h yielded a specificity of 100% at sensitivities between 69% and 76%. The standard cTnT at the 99th percentile was less sensitive than hs-cTnT for early diagnosis of MI on presentation, and follow-up samples obtained within the initial 3 h demonstrated very low specificity of cTnT compared with hs-cTnT.

CONCLUSIONS

The high-sensitivity cTnT assay increases the number of NSTEMI diagnoses and enables earlier detection of evolving NSTEMI. A doubling of the hs-cTnT concentration within 3 h in the presence of a second concentration >or=99th percentile is associated with a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 88%.