The comparative diagnostic efficacy of two cardiac markers: CK-MB and
cTn-T, has scarcely been investigated in Indian patients of acute
myocardial infarction. The present study was conducted for the same objective. The present study comprised of 59 patients. Males were 44 (75%) and females were 15 (25 %). The age of patients ranged from 32-84 years with mean age of 62.8 yrs. The mean age of males and females were 60 and 63 yrs respectively. All patients presented with history of
chest pain with a 12 leads ECG proven MI (ST Elevation, discordant T-waves). CK-MB was estimated in peripheral blood samples at 0,24,48 and 72 hours by an autoanalyzer. Following 12 hours of admission bed side
Troponin-T test was done employing
cTn-T marker kit. Initially (0 hr), in 50% patients CK-MB was elevated. By end of 24 hours all the patients were CKMB positive and peak level was attained at 24 hrs. Then it tended to decline over next 48 hrs. There were no false positive or negative results. The
cTn-T test was positive only in 22 % of ECG positive
infarctions. However, the
cTn-T positive cases were always accompanied by a higher CK-MB levels. A significantly lower
cTn-T positive cases in Indian patients can only be attributed to some difference in amino acid sequence of Indian
cTn-T and occidental
cTn-T. A larger study from other Indian cardiac centers can either substantiate or contradict our results.