Unstimulated whole saliva creatine phosphokinase in acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE Accurate and rapid diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (MI) is of major medical and economic importance. The objective of this study was to identify unstimulated whole saliva creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in patients with acute MI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A case-control study was carried out in 30 normal healthy individuals and 30 patients with acute MI were hospitalized in CCU of Kamkar hospital, Qom, Iran. CPK levels were assayed in serum and unstimulated whole saliva at the first and the second days of acute MI by IFCC method. Statistical analysis of the Student's t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient was performed. RESULTS The mean saliva and serum levels at both the first and the second days of acute MI were significantly higher in patients with acute MI compared with healthy individuals. They were significantly greater in the first day than in the second day. Saliva CPK concentration correlated significantly with serum CPK level in the first day (r = 0.442, P < 0.01) and in the second day of acute MI (r = 0.268, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Results suggest that salivary CPK can be used as an alternative to serum CPK for diagnosis and monitoring of myocardial infarction.