The rapid analyses of cardiac troponins in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy, distemper or parvoviral infection.

In this study, concentrations of cardiac troponins (cTnI and cTnT) and using a cassette kit which is a qualitative assay were used to investigate the diagnosis of myocardial damages due to different diseases in dogs. Study groups were composed of dogs with distemper infection (DI) (Group I, n=8), parvoviral infection (PVI) (Group II, n=18) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (Group III, n=18). Healthy dogs were included for each group as control. Levels of troponins (cTnI, cTnT) were determined by commercially available ELISA kits and cassette kits were used for qualitative assays. The mean concentrations of cTnI in Groups I, II and III were 2.26±0.41 ng/ml, 2.41±0.98 ng/ml and 5.076±1.32 ng/ml, respectively. Positive cTnI and cTnT expressions were determined in groups as 5/8 (62.5%) and 4/8 (50%) in group I; 5/18 (27.7%) and 5/18 (27.7%) in group II and 13/18 (72.2%) and 6/18 (33.3%) in group III, respectively. In healthy control dogs, cTnI and cTnT were determined to be negative. The cTnI concentrations were more reliable cardiac marker in dogs with cardiomyopathy. Moreover, cTnI and cTnT casette kits used in this study may be valuable diagnostic tools to diagnose the myocardial damage in dogs with DI, PVI and DCM for the small animal practioners.