Cardiac troponin I in racing standardbreds.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Upper reference limits for cTnI have not been established for healthy Standardbred racehorses. OBJECTIVES: To establish cTnI upper reference limits for Standardbred racehorses and determine if increases in plasma cTnI concentration can be detected in 1-2 hours after a race. ANIMALS: Samples were obtained from 586 apparently healthy Standardbreds aged 2-14 years before racing and from the winners of 144 races 1-2 hours after the end of the race. METHODS: Prospective, observational study; convenience sampling; assay validation; and reference limits determinations were performed according to ASCVP guidelines. Plasma cardiac troponin I concentrations before racing were determined, po..