A 53-year-old man with active hepatitis C and cirrhosis presented with a vasculitic rash, myalgias, and fatigue, and was found to have an elevated cardiac troponin I up to 15.7 ng/mL with normal electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and coronary angiogram prior to being discharged. Subsequently, during a similar presentation to another academically affiliated hospital, the patient had a normal cardiac troponin T (< 0.01 ng/mL). Upon his third presentation with significantly elevated troponin I to 15.98 ng/mL, the patient was found to have cryoglobulinemic vasculitis and elevated rheumatoid factor due to active hepatitis C, causing interference with the troponin I immunoassay. In conclusion, troponin I assays may have high false-positive values due to interference by rheumatoid factor and/or a polyclonal antibody found in cryoglobulinemia.
Keywords: Biomarkers; acute coronary syndrome; cryoglobulinemia; troponin.
©2018 Odish et al. Published by IMR press. All rights reserved.