Monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays for serum myoglobin quantification in acute myocardial infarction

We have developed a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay and a solid-phase radioimmunoassay for human myoglobin. Both assays are based on competition for the monoclonal antibody between the free myoglobin present in the standards or serum samples and the myoglobin coated to the wells of microtiter plates. Consequently, the absorbance at 630 nm and the radioactivity are inversely related to the concentrations of free myoglobin. The sensitivity of both assays was 10 micrograms/L with linearity up to 1,000 micrograms/L. There was no interference with other serum proteins, as judged from analysis of specimens with high concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, or hemoglobin. The average serum myoglobin concentration in 30 normal individuals was 67 micrograms/L. Five patients with cardiac arrhythmias had normal values (average, 63 micrograms/L) while four patients with myocardial infarction had abnormally high concentrations of myoglobin (300-1,000 + micrograms/L). In a typical case of myocardial infarction, serum myoglobin rose 21 hr earlier and peaked 12 hr earlier than creatine kinase and its cardiac isoenzyme. These rapid immunoassays appear to be useful for the early detection of increased serum myoglobin indicative of myocardial infarction.