Myoglobinemia after myocardial infarction; influence of renal function.

Using a solid-phase radioimmunoassay for detection of serum myoglobin, the pattern of myoglobinemia was investigated in patients with acute myocardial infarction. All patients with acute infarcts had a marked rise in serum myoglobin concentration. Peak serum myoglobin concentration was found on an average 9 h after the initial onset of chest pain. Late onset of myoglobin peaks without signs of reinfarction as well as sustained abnormal myoglobinemia, in the majority of patients, could be explained by impaired renal function. The peak serum level of myoglobin correlated (r = 0.92) to the peak level of ASAT supporting the idea that the detection of myoglobin in serum may be a useful diagnostic aid in the qualitative diagnosis of myocardial infarction.