A personal history of markers of myocyte injury [myocardial infarction]

Jack H. Ladenson

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The measurement of proteins in blood to reflect damage to the heart is one of the most successful examples of easily measured biomarkers identifying a serious major health problem. The concept of using a blood test to reflect organ or cell injury requires a substance that is very abundant in the target cell, has a means of reaching blood, a reasonable half-life in blood, and ideally a specific form reflective only of the target cell in tissue. The myocyte's major role is contraction so proteins involved in contraction or the energy to support it should be good candidate markers. Conclusions: All the various biomarkers that have been used to detect cardiac damage are involved in contraction or energy metabolism, but the markers evolved empirically starting with transaminases in the 1950s leading to troponins in the 1990s. This history is reviewed with reflections on my experiences with developing assays for CK-MB and Troponin I.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3-8
Number of pages6
JournalClinica Chimica Acta
Volume381
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2 2007

Keywords

  • Biomarkers
  • CK-MB
  • Cardiac damage
  • Cardiac troponin
  • Immunoassay
  • Myocardial infarction

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