Background-This study determined the prevalence of increased cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and T (cTnT) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and whether an increased troponin was predictive of death. Methods and Results-Serum was obtained from 733 ESRD patients and measured for cTnI and cTnT. Relative risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regressions univariately and adjusted for age, time on dialysis, and coronary artery disease. Kaplan-Meier curves compared time to event data between groups. Greater percentages of patients had an increased cTnT versus cTnI at each cutoff, as follows: 99th percentile, 82% versus 6%; 10% coefficient of variation, 53% versus 1.0%; and receiver operator characteristic, 20% versus 0.4%. Increased versus normal cTnT was predictive of increased mortality using all cutoffs and only above the 99th percentile for cTnI. Two-year cumulative mortality rates increased (PϽ0.001) with changes in cTnT from normal (Ͻ0.01 g/L, 8.4%) to small (Ն0.01 to Ͻ0.04 g/L, 26%), moderate (Ն0.04 to Ͻ0.1 g/L, 39%), and large (Ն0.1 g/L, 47%) increases. Two-year mortalities were 30% for cTnI Ͻ0.1 g/L and 52% if Ն0.1 g/L. Univariate and adjusted relative risks of death associated with elevated (Ͼ99th percentile) cTnT were 5.0 (CI, 2.5 to 10; PϽ0.001) and 3.9 (CI, 1.9 to7.9; PϽ0.001) and cTnI were 2.0 (CI, 1.3 to 3.3; Pϭ0.008) and 2.1 (CI, 1.3 to 3.3; Pϭ0.007). Age, coronary artery disease, and time on dialysis were also independent predictors of mortality. Conclusions-Increases in cTnT and cTnI in ESRD patients show a 2-to 5-fold increase in mortality, with a greater number of patients having an increased cTnT.

Background:In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the ability of single and multiple biomarker monitoring to predict adverse outcomes has not been well established. This study determined the prognostic value of multiple biomarkers for all-cause death over 2 years in 399 ESRD patients. Methods:The risk of all-cause death was determined by use of multiple biomarkers based on concentrations for a reference population (normal) and cutoffs based on tertile distributions in the ESRD group. Biomarkers studied included N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP; Dade Behring and Roche assays), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT; Roche) and I (cTnI; Dade Behring and Beckman Coulter assays). Relative risks of death were estimated and survival curves computed. Results: A total of 101 deaths occurred during 594 patient-years of follow-up. Increased NT-proBNP concentrations were not predictive of death on the basis of the normal cutoffs. However, tertile analysis of NTproBNP was significantly predictive of death and had a ROC area under the curve equivalent to or better than any of the other biomarkers. Biomarkers independently predictive of survival were hsCRP (P <0.001, either assay), cTnT (P <0.05), and cTnI (Dade, P <0.05). Twoyear mortality rates were 6% (n ‫؍‬ 45) with normal hsCRP, cTnI, and cTnT concentrations; 19% (n ‫؍‬ 173) with increased hsCRP or cTnT and normal cTnI; 44%