LONDON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A binding protein released within minutes of a heart attack could help rapidly diagnose a problem even in weak attacks, British scientists said.
Cardiac myosin-binding protein C, or cMyBP-C, may be of particular value in diagnosing mild attacks in which traditional diagnostic proteins may not be abundant enough, researchers at Kings College, London, said in a release Thursday.
Of 320 proteins not released by normal hearts, cMyBP-C became 20 times more abundant within five minutes of a heart attack, proving itself to a promising diagnostic aid, the researchers said.
To determine the protein's potential value, more research with mice needs to be done on exactly how much cMyBP-C is released during given periods of time following an attack, the researchers said in the December issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.
