[Serum troponin T in patients with chronic Chagas disease].

High serum levels of T troponin (TnT) have been described in patients with nonischemic myocardiopathies as markers of myocardial damage. We aimed to determine whether a highly sensitive TnT assay could identify patients with early stage chronic Chagas disease cardiopathy. We studied 39 outpatients with a serologic diagnosis of Chagas disease by clinical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Among all patients, 15 had no cardiac lesions, 15 showed only typical electrocardiographic changes, and nine had echocardiographic alterations. All TnT determinations were negative except in one patient in the latter group (1 out of 9; 11.11%). This patient had the lowest ejection fraction (29%) and had a left ventricular diastolic diameter of 77 mm. Thus, in the present study troponin T levels were not associated with early signs of myocardial damage in Chagas disease.