Serum creatine kinase B subunit activity in diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

The value of serum creatine kinase B subunit activity (CK B) in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction was studied in 238 consecutive cases. All were admitted to a coronary care unit because of suspected acute myocardial infarction. Serum CK B activity was determined by an immunoinhibition procedure, using a CK M subunit inhibiting antibody (anti-M). For the evaluation of serum CK B, patients were classified into acute myocardial infarction and non-acute myocardial infarction groups. This classification was based on electrocardiographic findings, on quantitative determinations of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total serum creatine kinase (CK) activities, and on qualitative electrophoretic determinations of serum CK and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzymes. The prevalence of acute myocardial infarction in the patient material was 0.47. Serum CK B subunit activity was found to be a highly selective indicator of acute myocardial infarction with a predictive value of a positive test result of 0.97 and a predictive value of a negative test result of 0.99. The serum CK B activity increased above the acute myocardial infarction discrimination limit within 12 hours from onset of symptoms. Two non-acute myocardial infarction patients, who were resuscitated after cardiac arrest, had increased serum CK B values caused by the transient presence of CK isoenzyme BB in serum.