The key difference between troponin I and troponin T test is that troponin I test measures the troponin I protein levels in the blood, which indicates a possible skeletal or cardiac muscle damage, while troponin T test measures the level of troponin T protein in blood in order to determine muscle contraction and heart conditions.
The troponin test measures the level of troponin protein in blood secreted directly from the cardiac muscle during different heart conditions. During myocardial infarction, the heart muscles get damaged, and thereby the damaged muscle releases troponin into the blood. Troponin is of two types: troponin I and troponin T. Therefore, there are two troponin tests as troponin I test and troponin T test.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Troponin I Test
3. What is Troponin T Test
4. Similarities – Troponin I and Troponin T Test
5. Troponin I vs Troponin T Test in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Troponin I vs Troponin T Test
What is Troponin I Test?
Troponin I test is a blood test that measures the level of troponin I protein molecules in the blood. Troponin I is present in both skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle as protein molecules and play an important role during muscle contraction. Troponin I is not usually present in the blood. It is present only during instances of muscle damage.
Troponin I is of two types: cardiac troponin I and skeletal troponin I. Skeletal troponin I is not widely studied and has less significance. Cardiac troponin I is extremely vital since its presence in blood indicates probable cardiac muscle damage due to myocardial infarction. Therefore, it is an important cardiac marker in diagnosing heart conditions causing myocardial infarction. Troponin I functions as a supporting molecule in the formation of the actin–tropomyosin complex, where troponin I binds to actin molecules to keep the actin-tropomyosin complex in place. The troponin I test is also used to monitor angina, which leads to different heart conditions, including heart attacks.
What is Troponin T Test?
Troponin T test is a blood test that measures the level of troponin T protein molecules in the blood. Troponin T is present in both cardiac muscle and skeletal muscles, which helps in muscle contraction. Troponin T is of two types based on the type of muscle. They are skeletal troponin T, and cardiac troponin T. Troponin T test helps in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction since it acts as a cardiac marker. Heart conditions and damage to heart muscles result in the release of troponin T into the blood. Therefore, a simple troponin T test identifies the level in blood and diagnoses the type of heart condition.
The function of troponin T is to bind to the tropomyosin protein and assist in the process of muscle contraction. Here, the protein molecule bound to tropomyosin is involved in making conformational changes to tropomyosin protein and facilitating the binding to actin. Troponin I test is also used to monitor angina.
What are the Similarities Between Troponin I and Troponin T Test?
- Troponin I and troponin T test are protein detection tests.
- Both tests indicate myocardial infarction.
- Moreover, they detect troponin types secreted from the heart muscles.
- Both tests are blood tests.
- They can monitor angina.
- Both tests do not require special preparations.
What is the Difference Between Troponin I and Troponin T Test?
Troponin I test measures the level of troponin I protein in the blood, while the troponin T test measures the level of troponin T protein in the blood. Thus, this is the key difference between troponin I and troponin T test. Troponin I test is comparatively less sensitive, while the troponin T test is comparatively more sensitive. So, this is another difference between troponin I and troponin T test. Besides, cardiac troponin I is coded by the TNNI3 gene, whereas cardiac troponin T is coded by the TNNI2 gene.
The following table summarizes the difference between troponin I and troponin T test.
Summary – Troponin I vs Troponin T Test
The Troponin test measures the level of troponin protein in blood secreted directly from the cardiac muscle during different heart conditions. Troponin is of two types. They are Troponin I and Troponin T. Troponin I test measures the level of troponin I protein in the blood, while the troponin T test measures the level of troponin T protein in the blood. Both tests are common and can monitor angina. Besides, cardiac troponin I is coded by the TNNI3 gene, while cardiac troponin T is coded by the TNNI2 gene. But, no special preparations are required for both types of tests. Thus, this summarizes what is the difference between troponin I and troponin T test.
Reference:
1. “Troponin T or Troponin I as Cardiac Markers in Ischaemic Heart Disease.” Heart (British Cardiac Society), U.S. National Library of Medicine.
2. “Troponin Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Cardiac sarcomere structure” By Mohamed Elshennawy, M.D. – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Troponintest (fcm)” By Frank C. Müller (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia