The detection of myoglobin in urine and its application to the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

An indirect haemaglutination method was developed for the immunochemical detection of myoglobin in human urine. Myoglobin was found in the urine of 84% of 44 patients with acute myocardial infarction. In contrast, it was detected in the urine of 2.7% of 147 control subjects and in none of a control group of 15 patients who had received intramuscular injections. In patients with myocardial infarction, myoglobin was detected in most but not all urine specimens collected between 10 and 50 hours after the onset of chest pain. The results suggest that the detection of myoglobin in urine may be a valuable addition to present tests for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.