Levels of myosin heavy chain fragment in patients with tissue damage.

Background: Myosin heavy chain fragments (MHC) levels are observed to be higher in myoskeletal injuries after surgery. MHC could be a helpful supplementary tool in the study of myoskeletal injuries.

Methods: Serum levels of myosin heavy chain fragments (MHC) were assessed in orthopedic patients before operation (OBO) and after operative (OAO) repairs and in the early phase of soft tissue injury (STI) using a radioimmunoassay involving monoclonal antibodies to the human beta-type MHC.

Results: Mean (SD) microU/L of MHC in comparison with the control subjects (75.3 +/- 47.1) was higher in OAO (305.8 +/- 38.1) p <0.0001, and no significant changes in MHC were found in STI (67 +/- 77.5). Myoglobin was notably higher in OBO (81.9 +/- 95.0) compared to STI (43.9 +/- 55.9) or controls p <0.05, but there was no further change in the protein after surgery. The mean proportional raised level of myoglobin in OBO was >twofold, and MHC increased by 27%. Neither myoglobin nor MHC increased in the plasma of the STI within 24 h of injury.

Conclusions: These data suggest that the release of MHC could be a helpful supplementary tool in the study of tissue damage in humans.