Determination of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB): comparison of methods and clinical evaluation.

An ion-exchange chromatography method based on the method of Mercer is advocated for the routine determination of serum CK-MB. This method has some prominent advantages over other methods with which it is compared, and which include electrophoresis and an immunological technique. This method proves to be reliable and highly reproducible, while it allows a rather large number of samples to be analyzed within a relatively short period of time. Some parameters of the release pattern of CK-MB after acute myocardial infarction are characterized: normal values, time of first rise, time of peak value and rate-constant of inactivation. The clinical significance of serum CK-MB determination is evaluated.