Measurement of creatine kinase Z in human sera using a DEAE-cellulose mini-column method.

A DEAE-cellulose mini-column method has been developed which allows for the quantitation in human serum of creatine kinase Z, a sub-band of creatine kinase first described by Lim ((1975) Clin. Chem. 21, 975, Abstract 181) and Sax et al. (Sax, S.M., Moore, J.J., Giegel, J.L. and Welsh, M. (1976) Clin. Chem. 22, 87). We have shown that creatine kinase Z is rather unstable in nature, and converts to a form which electrophoreses with creatine kinase MM on agarose gel electrophoresis. CK-Z is not present in normal human serum. CK-Z is present in human heart extracts, in patients with myocardial infarcts and in patients with skeletal muscle trauma. In infarct patients CK-Z levels paralleled changes in the CK-MB levels. CK-Z ranged in activity from 8.8-67.2 I.U. whereas CK-MB ranged from 29.6-121.6 I.U. in infarct patients. CK-Z and CK-MB activity were measured at or close to the peak rise in total CK activity.