Troponin T


Troponin T is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps position it on actin, and together with the rest of the troponin complex, modulates contraction of striated muscle. The cardiac subtype of troponin T is especially useful in the laboratory diagnosis of heart attack because it is released into the blood-stream when damage to heart muscle occurs. It was discovered by the German physician Hugo A. Katus at the University of Heidelberg, who also developed the troponin T assay.

Subtypes

Background

The troponin complex is responsible for coupling the sarcomere contraction cycle to variations in intracellular calcium concentration. Increased troponin T levels after an episode of chest pain might indicate myocardial infarction. It was discovered by the German physician Hugo A. Katus at the University of Heidelberg. He also developed the troponin T assay. In patients with non-severe asymptomatic aortic valve stenosis and no overt coronary artery disease, the increased troponin T was found associated with an increased 5-year event rate of ischemic cardiac events. In patients with stable coronary artery disease, the troponin T concentration has long been found to be significantly associated with the incidence of cardiovascular death and heart failure, but it was 2014 before it began to be accepted as a predictor of who would later suffer acute myocardial infarction. A recent study has found an association between long-term excessive variation in blood pressure and elevations in Troponin T levels.