Refining diagnostic microRNA signatures by whole-miRNome kinetic analysis in acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns in whole blood may be useful biomarkers of diverse cardiovascular disorders. We previously reported that miRNAs are significantly dysregulated in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and applied machine-learning techniques to define miRNA subsets with high diagnostic power for AMI diagnosis. However, the kinetics of the time-dependent sensitivity of these novel miRNA biomarkers remained unknown.

Biological variation of high sensitive Troponin T in stable heart failure patients with ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: High sensitive Troponin (hsTn) assays enable detection of minimal marker elevation in heart failure patients previously deemed Troponin negative. Biovariability, reference change values (RCV), and index of individuality (II) have not been previously described for hsTnT although serial testing is important in interpreting low concentrations. For these values, a difference between ischemic heart disease (IHD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (dCMP) appears conceivable.

Conference on clinical use of troponin T high sensitive (TnThs) on September 8, 2009 at the airport conference center, Frankfurt/Main.

With the redefinition of myocardial infarction in 2000, cardiology associations ESC and ACC require the use of the 99th percentile of a healthy population at a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 10 % for Troponin values in diagnosing myocardial infarction. With a new Troponin T high sensitive (TnThs) assay as an advancement, it is now possible to fulfill these requirements. A panel of experts from laboratories and cardiologists discussed how to use this new assay in daily routine.