Circulating CK-MB and CK-BB isoenzymes after prostate resection.

We studied the effect of prostate resection on serum creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2) and lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) isoenzymes in 22 patients. Two hours after their operations, two-thirds of these patients had increased total creatine kinase activity. The MB isoenzyme was demonstrated in sera of 66% of the patients and the BB isoenzyme in 76%. MB content varied from 1 to 7% of total creatine kinase activity, the average activity being 7.4 +/- 6 (SD) U/L. BB content varied from 1 to 29% of the total creatine kinase activity, the average activity being 8.5 +/- 5.4 U/L. No patients showed evidence of cardiac damage. In contrast to the enzyme changes associated with cardiac injury, MB isoenzyme seen after prostate resection is usually associated with the appearance of BB activity. In addition, the ratio of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes 1 and 2 was "inverted" in only five of the 33 patients, and appeared to corrlate with the degree of hemolysis in the postoperative sera. The prostate contains all three creatine kinase isoenzymes, BB predominating.