Myoglobin (Myo)

Details

Myoglobin (MYO) is a small cytoplasmic oxygen-binding protein located in the skeletal and cardiac muscle. MYO is released exceptionally early into the serum, one h after the onset of myocardial injury, peaks at 4–12 h, and returns to baseline values immediately.

MYO has high sensitivity and a high negative predictive value for myocardial cell death. However, the major disadvantage of myo antibody is the lack of specificity to the cardiac tissue due to the presence of large amounts of MYO in the skeletal muscle. The levels of MYO can therefore not be used as a single diagnostic marker but in conjunction with the troponins (ctni antibody) or CKMB protein. Serum levels of MYO can be used to early rule out rather than diagnose myocardial infarction.