tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Cardiol
. 2020 Nov 23;S0167-5273(20)34162-0.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.11.039. Online ahead of print.
Interpretation of elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in elite soccer players previously infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Giuseppe Mascia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Pescetelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Amedeo Baldari[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Piero Gatto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sara Seitun[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Paolo Sartori[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maurizio Pieroni[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Leonardo Cal?[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Roberta Della Bona[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Italo Porto[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objectives: To clarify the meaning of elevated cardiac troponin in elite football athletes previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and screened for cardiovascular involvement in the wake of competitive sport resumption.
Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study with the collaboration of two Italian Serie A teams. Football players from both rosters (58 athletes) were systematically analysed. For every SARS-CoV-2 positive athlete, the Italian Football Federation protocol requested full blood tests including high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hscTnI), along with a complete cardiovascular examination. We extended the analysis to SARS-CoV-2 negative athletes.
Results: A total of 13/58 players (22.4%) suffered from SARS-CoV-2infection: all had a negative cardiovascular examination and 2/13 (15%) showed increased hs-cTnI values (120,8 pg/ml and 72,6 pg/ml, respectively; upper reference level 39,2 pg/ml), which did not track with inflammatory biomarkers. Regarding the 45/58 (77,6%) non infected athletes, a slight increase in hs-cTnI was observed in 2 (4.5%) subjects (values: 61 pg/ml and 75 pg/ml respectively). All hs-cTnI positive athletes (4/58, 7%) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), that excluded any cardiac injury.
Conclusions: In our retrospective study, SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite football athletes was not associated to clinical or biomarkers abnormalities. Increased hs-cTnI was rare and not significantly associated with previous SARS-COV2 infection nor with pathological findings at CMR, albeit elevated hs-cTnI was numerically more prevalent in the infected group.
Keywords: Cardiac troponin; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Elite athletes.
. 2020 Nov 23;S0167-5273(20)34162-0.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.11.039. Online ahead of print.
Interpretation of elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in elite soccer players previously infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Giuseppe Mascia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Pescetelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Amedeo Baldari[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Piero Gatto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sara Seitun[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Paolo Sartori[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maurizio Pieroni[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Leonardo Cal?[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Roberta Della Bona[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Italo Porto[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33242510
- PMCID: PMC7682525
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.11.039
Abstract
Objectives: To clarify the meaning of elevated cardiac troponin in elite football athletes previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and screened for cardiovascular involvement in the wake of competitive sport resumption.
Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study with the collaboration of two Italian Serie A teams. Football players from both rosters (58 athletes) were systematically analysed. For every SARS-CoV-2 positive athlete, the Italian Football Federation protocol requested full blood tests including high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hscTnI), along with a complete cardiovascular examination. We extended the analysis to SARS-CoV-2 negative athletes.
Results: A total of 13/58 players (22.4%) suffered from SARS-CoV-2infection: all had a negative cardiovascular examination and 2/13 (15%) showed increased hs-cTnI values (120,8 pg/ml and 72,6 pg/ml, respectively; upper reference level 39,2 pg/ml), which did not track with inflammatory biomarkers. Regarding the 45/58 (77,6%) non infected athletes, a slight increase in hs-cTnI was observed in 2 (4.5%) subjects (values: 61 pg/ml and 75 pg/ml respectively). All hs-cTnI positive athletes (4/58, 7%) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), that excluded any cardiac injury.
Conclusions: In our retrospective study, SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite football athletes was not associated to clinical or biomarkers abnormalities. Increased hs-cTnI was rare and not significantly associated with previous SARS-COV2 infection nor with pathological findings at CMR, albeit elevated hs-cTnI was numerically more prevalent in the infected group.
Keywords: Cardiac troponin; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Elite athletes.