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Myoglobin in the blood
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
Reference values (norm) of myoglobin concentration in blood serum: men - 22-66 μg/l, women - 21-49 μg/l.
Myoglobin is a heme-containing chromoprotein; it is a light chain of myosin with a molecular weight of 17.6 kDa. It is a protein that transports oxygen in skeletal muscles and the myocardium. Myoglobin weakly binds to blood proteins; when the myocardium and skeletal muscles are damaged, it easily and quickly enters the blood and is then quickly excreted in the urine.
The increase in concentration in the blood is transient, occurs 2-3 hours after the onset of pain in myocardial infarction and persists for 2-3 days. An increase in the concentration of myoglobin in the blood in the first 2 hours is detected in 50%, by the 3rd hour - in 92%, by the 5th hour - in 100% of patients with myocardial infarction. The concentration of myoglobin in myocardial infarction can increase by 4-10 times or more. The degree of its increase depends on the extent of myocardial damage. Normalization of the concentration of myoglobin in myocardial infarction occurs on the 2nd-3rd day. With the development of complications (heart failure), the concentration of myoglobin remains elevated for more than 3 days.
Repeated increases in myoglobin concentration in the blood against the background of the already begun normalization may indicate the expansion of the myocardial infarction zone or the formation of new necrotic foci. In myocardial ischemia, which occurs during attacks of angina pectoris, without the development of focal necrotic changes, an increase in the concentration of myoglobin in the blood is also possible, but it is insignificant. In myocardial infarction, along with myoglobinemia, myoglobinuria (increased myoglobin content in the urine) is detected, which is not observed during attacks of angina pectoris. Determining the concentration of myoglobin in the blood is most important for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction.
Determination of myoglobin in the blood is also important in patients with crush syndrome, with extensive muscle injuries, which are often complicated by acute renal failure due to massive deposition of myoglobin in the renal glomeruli.
The concentration of myoglobin in the blood increases with severe electric shock, thermal burns, secondary toxic myoglobinuria (Huff's disease), damage to skeletal muscles, arterial occlusion with muscle ischemia.
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