Cardiac troponin I concentrations in normal dogs and cats using a bedside analyzer

ObjectiveTo develop reference ranges for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in normal dogs and cats using the Biosite Triage Meter^®.BackgroundReference ranges for cTnI in dogs and cats have not yet been reported for this inexpensive bedside analyzer.MethodsPurified free canine cTnI was diluted to 5 known concentrations to assess linearity and recovery. Interassay and intraassay precision were evaluated using 3 dilutions obtained from a dog with an elevated cTnI concentration. EDTA plasma was obtained from 55 normal dogs and 58 normal cats for analysis of cTnI.ResultsMeasured values of purified cTnI closely matched calculated concentrations (r² = 0.997) and recovery ranged from 107–164%. Intraassay precision was 2.76 ± 1.20% and interassay precision was 8.50 ± 4.19%.The dogs were 4.8 ± 3.1 years and 24.4 ± 11.2 kg (27 Mc, 19 Fs, 5 M, 4 F). The cats were 4.9 ± 2.8 years and 5.1 ± 1.19 kg (36 Mc, 22 Fs). The median and range (5th and 95th percentile) of cTnI for dogs were <0.05 ng/mL (<0.05–0.12). The median cTnI for cats was <0.05 ng/mL, as was the range, because only 3 cats (the upper 5% of the population) had detectable cTnI concentrations. The lower limit of detection for this assay is 0.05 ng/mL.ConclusionsThis study provides reference ranges for cTnI in dogs and cats using the Triage Meter^®, an affordable bedside analyzer. The availability of reference ranges for this machine may increase clinical use and research of this marker in veterinary medicine.