Modified Troponin I as a Candidate Marker for Chronic Heart Failure

Study Hypothesis Despite the high incidence and mortality associated with chronic heart failure (CHF), few biomarkers for its diagnosis are approved for clinical practice. Therefore, new markers and diagnostic options are the object of intense research. In this study, Zhang et al address this need by testing their hypothesis that the levels of modified cardiac troponin I (cTnI) correlate with the development of HF. Intriguingly, quantification of cTnI is well established in clinical practice for the assessment and diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Consequently, the team precisely quantified 2 well-established posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of cTnI (ie, phosphorylation and truncation) in tissue specimens from healthy and gradations of diseased hearts. The study eloquently demonstrated a correlation between the levels of phosphorylated cTnI and the degree of deterioration in cardiac function.