The role of serum cardic troponin I in diagnosis and observation in patients with viral myocarditis

[Objective] To investigate the value of cardic troponin I (cTnI) in diagnosis and observation in patients with viral myocarditis (VMC). [Methods] Serum cTnI and cardiac enzymes were measured in 105 patients with acute VMC at different stages (admission, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 3 months); Comparition study was performed between the positive rate of cTnI with diagnosis rate of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB); The realations of cTnI with electrocardiograph (ECG) and course of disease were studied. [Results] The positive rate of cTnI was significantly higher than cardiac enzyme levels at different stages (P 0.005, P 0.05); There was no significant difference between the positive rate of cTnI with diagnosis rate of EMB (P 0.05). The normal rate of ECG in positive group was significantly lower than that in negative group (P 0.05). The cure rate in positive group was significantly lower than that in negative group at 3 months (P 0.005). [Conclusions] Measurement of serum levels of cTnI provides evidence of myocyte injury in patients with VMC more sensitively and specifically than convention determination of cardiac enzyme levels; cTnI and EMB are very important in diagnosis of VMC; cTnI also plays an important role in the observation in patients with VMC.