Myoglobin is a protein (albumin) found in skeletal and cardiac muscles – striated muscles. Thus, damage to the musculature can be determined by the level of myoglobin in blood serum or urine.
Myoglobin is used primarily in heart attack diagnostics.
An increase in myoglobin can be expected after 2-6 hours after the onset of infarction.The maximum is reached after 6 to 12 hours after the onset of infarction.Normalization occurs after approximately one day.
The procedure
Material needed
- Blood serum
- 24h collection urine
Preparation of the patient
- Not known
Disruptive factors
- Not known
Normal value – blood serum
| Normal value in μg/l | |
| Women | < 35 |
| Men | < 55 |
Normal value – urine
| Standard value in mg/l | |
| Women | < 0,3 |
| Men | < 0,3 |
Indications
- Suspected myocardial infarction (heart attack).
- Suspicion of skeletal muscle disease
- Sports medicine examination
- Suspected proteinuria (increased protein excretion in the urine).
Interpretation
Interpretation of increased values
- Chronic renal insufficiency (kidney weakness).
- Genetically determined muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy.
- Muscle overuse
- Muscle injuries
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Prerenal proteinuria – refers to the presence of protein (protein) in the urine, where the cause is found before the kidney, i.e., in the bloodstream
- Rhabdomyolysis – dissolution of skeletal muscle.
Interpretation of decreased values
- Not relevant to the disease
Further notes
- If myocardial infarction is suspected, the following laboratory parameters should be determined:
- Myoglobin
- Troponin T (TnT)
- CK-MB (creatine kinase myocardial type).
- CK (creatine kinase)
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT)
- LDH (lactate dehydrogenase)
- HBDH (hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase)
