Early detection of coronary reperfusion by rapid assessment of plasma myoglobin

We assayed plasma myoglobin and creatine kinase to elucidate the usefulness of rapid assessment of myoglobin for detecting coronary reperfusion in 31 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Reperfusion was achieved in 20 patients by thrombolytic therapy or angioplasty, and it was not in 11 patients. Blood sampling was performed before and 43 +/- 15 (+/- SD) min after the start of treatment. In the reperfused group, blood samples were obtained before and 26 +/- 10 min after reperfusion. Myoglobin was assayed by a new quantitative test based on latex agglutination turbidimetry which required an assay time of 10 min. After treatment, the rate of increase of plasma myoglobin was significantly higher than that of plasma creatine kinase in the reperfused group (9.7 +/- 9.5 and 2.8 +/- 1.6-fold), but not in the occluded group (1.8 +/- 0.6 and 1.5 +/- 0.3-fold). When a 3.0-fold or greater increase in myoglobin (1.9-fold or greater increase in creatine kinase) was taken as evidence of coronary reperfusion, the sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 100% (70% and 82% in creatine kinase), respectively. In conclusion, using the rate of increase of myoglobin, as measured by latex agglutination turbidimetry, coronary reperfusion can be diagnosed within 1 h after reperfusion.