Cardiac Biochem

Question 1

What is used as a cardiac biomarker?

Answer 1

Troponins

TnI & TnT (TnC is poor marker)

Question 2

Why do we not use creatine kinase as a cardiac biomarker anymore?

Answer 2

Not specific as present in all muscles

Question 3

Why is Troponin used as a cardiac biomarker?

Answer 3

• Cardiospecific
• Only released during myocardial injury, undetectable in health
• Measured by immunoassay

Question 4

How does immunoassay work?

Answer 4

• Relies on presence of epitopes which rely on presence/binding of specific antibodies
• Diff. antibody types present which bind to cardiac TnT
• Capture + detection with troponin in middle
• Electrochemiluminescence lets you know how much troponin present

Question 5

How does the new assay work?

Answer 5

• Still chemiluminescent immunoassay but immunoglobulins binds to antigen
  Light emitted to amount of TnI in sample
• High sensitivity - detect same protein at lower conc.
• Female specific cut offs = diff to men