Role of a lower cutoff of high sensitivity troponin I in identification of early cardiac damage in non-severe patients with COVID-19

Cardiac damage in non-severe patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is poorly explored. This study aimed to explore the manifestations of cardiac damage at presentation in non-severe patients with COVID-19. In this study, 113 non-severe patients with COVID-19 were grouped according to the duration from symptoms onset to hospital admission: group 1 (≤ 1 week, n = 27), group 2 (> 1 to 2 weeks, n = 28), group 3 (> 2 to 3 weeks, n = 27), group 4 (> 3 weeks, n = 31). Clinical, cardiovascular, and radiological data on hospital admission were compared across the four groups. The level of high sensitivity troponin I (hs-cTnI) in group 2 [10.25 (IQR 6.75–15.63) ng/L] was significantly higher than those in group 1 [1.90 (IQR 1.90–8.80) ng/L] and group 4 [1.90 (IQR 1.90–5.80) ng/L] (all P(bonferroni) < 0.05). The proportion of patients who had a level of hs-cTnI ≥ 5 ng/L in group 2 (85.71%) was significantly higher than those in the other three groups (37.04%, 51.85%, and 25.81%, respectively) (all P(bonferroni) < 0.05). Compared with patients with hs-cTnI under 5 ng/L, those with hs-cTnI ≥ 5 ng/L had lower lymphocyte count (P = 0.000) and SpO(2) (P = 0.002) and higher CRP (P = 0.000). Patients with hs-cTnI ≥ 5 ng/L had a higher incidence of bilateral pneumonia (P = 0.000) and longer hospital length of stay (P = 0.000). In conclusion, non-severe patients with COVID-19 in the second week after symptoms onset were most likely to suffer cardiac damage. A detectable level of hs-cTnI ≥ 5 ng/L might be a manifestation of early cardiac damage in the patients.