Acta Vet. Brno 2026, 95: 141-147
Evaluation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins I and T as biomarkers for subclinical myocardial injury in canine distemper virus infection: a preliminary study
Canine distemper virus is a multisystemic pathogen known to affect various organs, including the heart. However, traditional cardiac biomarkers may lack the sensitivity to detect minor myocardial damage in the early or subclinical stages of the disease. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in dogs naturally infected with canine distemper virus and to assess their potential as indicators of subclinical myocardial injury. The study included 15 dogs diagnosed with distemper and 15 healthy control dogs. The diagnosis was confirmed by rapid antigen testing. Serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponins and haematological indices were analysed. The results revealed significantly higher concentrations of both troponin I (0.381 ± 0.085 ng/ml) and troponin T (0.297 ± 0.074 ng/ml) in the infected group compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05), along with characteristic haematological changes, including leukocytosis and lymphopaenia. Although overt clinical signs of heart failure were not the primary complaint in these patients, the significant elevation of high-sensitivity troponins suggests the presence of subclinical myocardial injury associated with the infection. These findings indicate that high-sensitivity assays could serve as valuable screening tools to identify patients at risk of cardiac complications, warranting further cardiac monitoring even in the absence of severe clinical symptoms.
Keywords
Funding
The study was presented as an abstract text at the 14th National and 3rd International Veterinary Internal Diseases Congress, held in Marmaris, Muğla, Türkiye.
