Myocardial damage during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty as evidenced by troponin T measurements

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of balloon inflation during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on markers of myocardial damage.

Seventy-five patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were evaluated with serum creatine kinase MB and cardiospecific troponin T before and 1 and 4 days after the procedure. On day 1, 28% of the patients had increased cardiospecific troponin T values and 18% had increased creatine kinase MB values. On day 4, 24% had increased cardiospecific troponin T values, whereas all creatine kinase MB values were normal. A high degree of correlation between creatine kinase MB and cardiospecific troponin T on day 1, as well as between both markers on day 1 and cardiospecific troponin T on day 4 were found. The increased levels of cardiospecific troponin T on day 4 was significantly correlated with the total balloon inflation time (P < 0.001).

We conclude that irreversible myocardial damage, as evidenced by increased cardiospecific troponin T values on day 4, occurs in an appreciable number of patients during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and that this damage is strongly correlated with the total balloon inflation time.