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Cardiospecificity of the 3rd generation cardiac troponin T assay during and after a 216 km ultra-endurance marathon run in Death Valley

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Abstract

Background

The reasons for the appearance of cardiacspecific troponin (cTnT) after strenuous exercise are unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cardiospecificity of the 3rd generation cardiac cTnT assay during and after an ultra-endurance race of 216 km at extreme environmental conditions in Death Valley.

Study design and methods

We measured serially cTnT, creatine kinase (CK), activity and mass of the isoenzyme MB of CK (CK-MBact and CK-MBmass), and myoglobin in 10 well-trained athletes before, repeatedly during and after the race.

Results

Six of 10 participants finished the race within a preset time of 60 hours. Postrace values of biochemical markers CK, CK-MBact, CKMBmass, and myoglobin were significantly increased compared to baseline (p<0.05). CK-MBact increased from (median (25th/ 75thpercentile) 12 (10/13) U/L to 72 (32/110) U/L, CK-MBmass from 3.9 (2.9/5.6) U/L to 65 (18/80) U/L and CK increased from median 136 (98/ 228) U/L to 3,570 (985/6,884) U/L respectively. Pre-race myoglobin was 27 (22/31) µg/l compared to 530 (178/657) µg/l after the run. One runner developed significant exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis with spontaneous recovery. cTnT values remained below the 99th percentile reference limit in all athletes including the runner who developed significant rhabdomyolysis (peak CK 27,951 U/L).

Conclusions

Strenuous endurance exercise, even under extreme environmental conditions, does not result in structural myocardial damage in well-trained ultra-endurance athletes. We found no crossreactivity between cTnT and CK, neither in exercise-induced skeletal muscle trauma nor after rhabdomyolysis underscoring the excellent analytical performance of 3rd generation cTnT assay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik, Abteilung für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinik Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Evangelos Giannitsis

  2. Laboratory Dr. Limbach and Colleagues, Heidelberg, Germany

    H. J. Roth

  3. Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, England

    R. M. Leithäuser & R. Beneke

  4. Laboratory of the 1st Medical Department, County Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    H. Doppelmayr

  5. Department of Physiological Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    M. Doppelmayr

  6. Institute of Performance Testing, Bad Berleburg, Germany

    H. Finkernagel

  7. Department of Health, Kinesiology and Sport Studies, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas

    S. P. von Duvillard

  8. Medizinische Klinik, Abteilung für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    S. Korff, H. A. Katus &  Evangelos Giannitsis

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  1. H. J. Roth
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  7. S. Korff
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  8. H. A. Katus
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  10. R. Beneke
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Correspondence to Evangelos Giannitsis.

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Roth, H.J., Leithäuser, R.M., Doppelmayr, H. et al. Cardiospecificity of the 3rd generation cardiac troponin T assay during and after a 216 km ultra-endurance marathon run in Death Valley. Clin Res Cardiol 96, 359–364 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-007-0509-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-007-0509-9

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