title: Plasma myoglobin in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Serum and plasma myoglobin and creatine kinase-MB catalytic activity were analysed in 157 patients admitted within 2 hours of the onset of chest pain (58 were retrospectively recognized as acute myocardial infarction). Serum and plasma values were highly correlated for both myoglobin and creatine kinase-MB. Plasma myoglobin appeared to be more sensitive than creatine kinase-MB for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction; using a cut-off value of 100 micrograms/l, 90% of acute myocardial infarction cases were correctly recognized by plasma myoglobin 6 hours after the onset of chest pain, with a diagnostic specificity of 100% for non-acute myocardial infarction chest pain subjects. Plasma creatine kinase-MB showed a diagnostic sensitivity of 62% and a diagnostic specificity of 95% in the same group of patients. We suggest the inclusion of the plasma myoglobin immunonephelometric assay together with plasma creatine kinase-MB activity analysis in protocols for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica, Ospedale Cardinale Ascalesi, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Castaldo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ercolini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basevi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vrenna
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castaldo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castaldo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood*; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009211:Myoglobin; D003402:Creatine Kinase