An observational study in Cardiac Valve Disease, sponsored by Jena University Hospital. Recruiting at 5 sites in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-26.
Sponsored by Jena University Hospital · Observational
The aim of the study is to clarify whether the perioperative release of the cardiac biomarkers troponin I, troponin T and CK-MB consistently correlate with visualizable myocardial damage, and to what extent these biomarkers are comparable by means of their kinetics and dynamics.
Due to the uncertainty regarding the validity of cardiac biomarkers in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, the answer to these questions could have a considerable influence on internationally valid guidelines and definitions. International studies, especially in the field of coronary surgery and coronary artery disease treatment refer to these definitions, in particular, the adequate treatment of affected patients is directly dependent on them.
In the course of a myocardial infarction, the death of cardiomyocytes leads to the release of specific cardiac biomarkers (CK-MB, troponin I and T). Since there is a general risk of perioperative infarction in cardiac surgery, the standard monitoring includes appropriate diagnostics. These are based on clinical symptoms, ECG, imaging (echocardiography or coronary angiography) and, in particular, the elevation of these cardiac biomarkers. Recently, the latter have been regularly moved into the foreground as the sole indicators of perioperative myocardial infarction, and first definitions allow the diagnosis solely based on troponin or CK-MB elevation.
However, biomarker elevations may not be accompanied by an image-morphologically detectable perfusion defect (myocardial infarction). Such phenomena have been described outside of cardiac surgery, for example, in marathon runners4, but also due to comorbidities such as renal insufficiency or neurological diseases. Even in patients undergoing cardiac surgery without coronary artery disease (e.g., isolated valve surgery), biomarker elevations up to the infarct-defining range are regularly observed. Whether in the latter case the perioperative routinely observed troponin or CK-MB elevation are indeed related to surgery-induced chronic perfusion disturbance has not yet been investigated.
To date, there is no study that quantitatively correlates purely perioperatively induced ischemic damage with the release of cardiac biomarkers. In addition, the three most commonly used biomarkers for perioperative infarct diagnosis differ considerably in their temporal release and release dynamics. Moreover, a direct comparison of all three parameters has never been performed so far.
Therefore, the aim of this study is to quantify and compare the release of troponin T, I and CK/CK-MB in the postoperative course in patients without relevant coronary artery disease undergoing elective isolated heart valve surgery. These findings will subsequently be correlated with classical diagnostics (clinic, ECG, echocardiography) and image morphological quantification of perioperatively induced myocardial damage by magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-cMRI).
552 studies on the registry are indexed under Heart Valve Diseases; 162 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 100 is below the median of 300 across 226 observational studies indexed under Heart Valve Diseases.
Browse Heart Valve Diseases studies →Jena University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 64 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients with indication for isolated aortic or mitral valve surgery and exclusion of coronary artery disease.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Correlation biomarker release and LGE-cMRI
Correlation of the peak value of the respective biomarker with the amount of perioperatively induced myocardial damage quantified by LGE-cMRI.
Time frame: pre-surgery and 5 days post-surgery
Plan to share: Undecided — It is not yet decided in which way and which data exactly will be shared with other researchers.
Started Sep 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Sep 2025, 24 months after the start.
Of 95 non-industry observational studies under Heart Valve Diseases, half reached primary completion within 67 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 23 and three quarters within 212. This study's planned 24 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 115 studies reached it within 67 months; a quarter within 23 and three quarters within 212.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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Jena University Hospital