Cardiac troponins I and T are central biomarkers for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction that are released into circulation during cardiomyocyte injury and cell death. Yet troponin measurement is complicated by a range of pathophysiological processes that can ultimately undermine the detection and interpretation of myocardial injury. In this seminar, I will explore how troponin structure, release kinetics, degradation and diversity of circulating molecular forms create unique analytical challenges for troponin immunoassays. I will focus on the important and often under-recognised issue of troponin interference and the methods used to identify it, particularly autoantibodies to troponin that cause both macro-troponin and “negative” assay interference. The potential clinical significance of these autoantibodies will be discussed, as will possible links to cardiac autoimmunity and cardiomyopathy. Finally, I’ll examine how innovative assay design is shaping the next generation of troponin assays, with the potential for improved discrimination of myocardial injury through the selective identification of distinct molecular forms.

About the speaker: Dr Christina Trambas is a Chemical Pathologist, clinician-scientist, and the Medical Director of St Vincent’s Pathology, Melbourne.Christina joined SVHM in 2020 as the Head of Biochemistry. She studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne and undertook her Chemical Pathology training at The Alfred Hospital and Melbourne Pathology before being awarded her fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.Prior to entering Medicine, Christina completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours and a PhD in Immunology at The University of Tasmania, and undertook a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at The Dunn School of Pathology at Oxford University, where she studied the cell biology of natural killer cells. Christina’s current research centres on innovations in Pathology that improve diagnosis and prognostication, better inform clinical decision making and ultimately improve patient care.

Hybrid attendance available

Open to all researchers across the #ACMD ecosystem. We look forward to welcoming our community to our next ACMD seminar

A light lunch is provided for in-person attendees from 12 PM onwards. We would love to see you there – register to secure your spot.

Session starts at 12:30pm

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