Establishment of a reference interval for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in healthy adults from the Sichuan area

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) has been used in the diagnosis and risk stratification of acute myocardial infarction. However, there is no common consensus on an hs-cTnI reference interval for the Chinese population. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of hs-TnI and establish the 99th percentile reference interval for hs-cTnI in healthy adults from the Sichuan area. Serum specimens were collected from 1485 healthy adults (731 men and 754 women ranging in age from 18 to 85 years) in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. All specimens were divided into 4 groups according to age distribution: 18 to 35 years, 36 to 50 years, 51 to 65 years, and ≥66 years. Specimens were further divided into younger/middle and older-aged groups based on a cut-off age of 50 years. The serum hs-cTnI concentration was determined using the Abbott ARCHITECT STAT hs-cTnI assay. The serum hs-cTnI concentration increased with age (P < 0.05). The 99th percentiles of hsTnI were 28.0 pg/mL among the whole population, 31.1 pg/mL among men, and 22.7 pg/mL among women. The age-dependent 99th percentiles of hs-cTnI in men and women were as follows: 28.8 versus 12.5 pg/mL for 18 to 35 years, 20.4 versus 9.2 pg/mL for 36 to 50 years, 24.2 versus 13.6 pg/mL for 51 to 65 years, and 27.9 versus 32.2 pg/mL for ≥66 years. The 99th percentile reference interval for hs-cTnI in healthy adults from the Sichuan area was similar to the manufacturer's recommendation. Men had a higher 99th percentile hs-cTnI value than women in the age range of 18 to 65 years.