Quantitation of infarct size in man by means of plasma enzyme levels

A method is described in which the extent of myocardial infarction in man is assessed by mathematical analysis of the rise in plasma enzyme levels after infarction. Five enzymes are used in this study: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (alpha-HBDH); aspartate aminotransferase (GOT); creatine phosphokinase (CPK); and phosphohexoseisomerase (PHI). It is shown that a reasonable assessment of the total enzyme release, reflecting the extent of the infarcted area, can be made when a sufficient number of blood samples are taken after infarction. This could provide a method by which to judge therapeutic effects of intervention in the course of a myocardial infarction, as demonstrated in this study by the assessment of the effect of urokinase on the enzyme release after an infarct