# First Report on Cardiac Troponin T Detection in Canine Amniotic Fluid

## TL;DR

This study is the first to detect cardiac troponin T in canine amniotic fluid, suggesting it could help identify neonatal hypoxia in dogs.

## Contribution

The first detection of cardiac troponin T in canine amniotic fluid and its potential link to maternal and neonatal factors.

## Key findings

- Cardiac troponin T was detected in all canine amniotic fluid samples collected at birth.
- Amniotic troponin T concentrations correlated with maternal characteristics and type of parturition.
- The protein may serve as a non-invasive marker for neonatal hypoxia in dogs.

## Abstract

This study is the first to explore cardiac troponin T in canine amniotic fluid collected at birth. Cardiac troponin T is a regulatory protein involved in heart muscle contraction that is released in response to cardiac injury. In human medicine, it is used as a marker of foetal distress, whereas its role in canine neonatology remains unknown. The primary aim of this research was to determine whether cardiac troponin T is detectable in the amniotic fluid of dogs and, subsequently, to investigate its potential associations with maternal and neonatal factors. Our findings confirmed the presence of cardiac troponin T in canine amniotic fluid and preliminarily suggest possible links with peripartum clinical parameters. Although the clinical relevance of amniotic cardiac troponin T in dogs requires further investigation, this protein may represent a novel non-invasive diagnostic strategy. It could contribute to the early identification of hypoxic conditions in neonates.

Complications during pregnancy and parturition can lead to foetal hypoxia, which may be responsible for cardiac ischemia and the subsequent release of troponin from cardiac muscles into the amniotic fluid (AF) and bloodstream. So far, cardiac troponin T (cTnT) has only been measured in the blood samples of adult dogs, while no data on its presence and relevance in AF are available. This study aimed to determine whether cTnT can be detected in canine AF collected at birth. Furthermore, a possible correlation between amniotic cTnT concentration and maternal and neonatal outcomes was explored. For this purpose, 40 AF samples were collected from 14 bitches at the time of delivery. A commercially available ELISA kit was used for the analysis of canine cTnT in biological fluids. Cardiac troponin T was detected in all amniotic specimens with concentrations ranging from 74.1 to 318 ng/L (191.6 ± 66.4 ng/L). The dams’ morphotype, age, and weight, as well as the type of parturition (elective vs. emergency C-section) and the expulsion time of puppies, were significantly associated with amniotic cTnT concentrations. Although amniotic cTnT warrants further investigation to fully understand its clinical role in canine neonatology, these results suggest a promising and valuable contribution.