Evolution of cardiac troponins as the ideal marker for risk stratification of patients with acute coronary syndrome

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Milenko Tanasijevic

Harvard Medical School, USA

: Int J Cardiovas Res

Abstract

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The introduction of cardiac Troponins as sensitive and specific biomarkers of myocardial injury ushered in a new era for risk stratification of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Over the years, the assays for both Troponin T and I have benefited for greatly improved sensitivity while maintaining their superb specificity. Our group has contributed significantly to this effort (see below bio). This presentation will review the evolution of the analytical and clinical performance of troponins across the spectrum of acute coronary syndromes, from unstable angina through overt AMI. I will also discuss the recently introduced ultra-sensitive troponin assays and the diagnostic dilemmas they pose, especially for results approaching the lower level of detection.

Biography

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Milenko Tanasijevic is the Vice Chair for Clinical Pathology and Quality of the Pathology Department of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), the Director of the BWH Clinical Laboratories and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. He oversees operations, quality and regulatory affairs for over forty licensed laboratory sites performing more than 6MM tests annually. His research as part of the TIMI clinical trial group contributed to the worldwide adoption of cardiac troponins and prompted their inclusion in the redefinition of acute myocardial infarction by the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology. He authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. He co-founded Cell Imaging Systems Inc. and co-invented the technology that served as the basis for building the world’s first hematology instrument that integrates digital morphology, cell counting and classification into a single instrument. ROCHE Diagnostics Inc. Acquired the system and secured its FDA approval in 2018 (http://www.cobas.com/home/product/hematology-testing/cobas-m-511.html). He is a co-inventor of 9 issued US patents. He consulted extensively in the field of laboratory diagnostics. He earned his MD at the University Cyril and Methodius in Macedonia and his MBA at the Boston University School of Management. He completed his residency training in Clinical Pathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

E-mail: mtanasijevic@bwh.harvard.edu