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Falsely elevated cardiac troponin-I in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

Patrick R Kenny1, David R Finger

  • 1Rheumatology Service, Department of Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96859-5000, USA. david.finger@haw.tamc.amedd.army.mil

The Journal of Rheumatology
|July 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and positive rheumatoid factor (RF) do not show falsely elevated cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) levels. This study confirms that RF does not interfere with cTnI assays in RA patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Immunology
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Elevated cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) is a marker for myocardial infarction.
  • Previous reports suggest serum rheumatoid factor (RF) may interfere with cTnI assays, causing false elevations.
  • The impact of RF in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on cTnI assays is not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients exhibit abnormally elevated cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) concentrations.
  • To assess the potential interference of rheumatoid factor (RF) with cTnI assays in RA patients.

Main Methods:

  • Serum samples were collected from 60 patients diagnosed with seropositive RA.
  • Rheumatoid factor (RF) and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) levels were measured using both Abbott AxSYM and Bayer ADVIA Centaur assays.

Main Results:

  • None of the 60 RA patients with RF levels ranging from 15 to 2724 IU/ml showed elevated cTnI.
  • No falsely elevated cTnI levels were detected by either the Abbott or Bayer assay in this cohort.

Conclusions:

  • This study demonstrates that seropositive RA patients do not have falsely elevated serum cTnI levels when tested with two commercial assays.
  • Rheumatoid factor (RF) does not appear to interfere with cTnI measurements in RA patients using these assays.
Abstract

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