Elimination half-life of intravenously administered equine cardiac troponin I in healthy ponies.

Reasons for performing study: To date, no information is available on the true biological elimination half-life (T_1/2) of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the equine species. Such data are required to better evaluate the optimal time to acquire the cTnI sample following acute myocardial injury. Objective: To determine the T_1/2 of equine cTnI. Methods: Four healthy ponies received i.v. injections of recombinant equine cTnI. Plasma cTnI concentrations were measured with a point-of-care cTnI analyser at multiple time points after injection. Standard pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to establish the T_1/2 of cTnI. Results: The average T_1/2 of cTnI was determined to be 0.47 h using a single rate elimination model. Conclusion: The elimination of recombinant equine cTnI following i.v. administration is very rapid. Establishing the T_1/2 of troponin provides critical information in understanding the clinical application of this cardiac biomarker in equine practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]