Final answer:
Elevated levels of CK and CK-MB indicate heart damage, specifically a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). CK is an enzyme predominantly found in skeletal muscle but is released into the blood when heart tissue is damaged. The levels of CK and CK-MB increase rapidly after a heart attack, making them useful markers for diagnosing heart damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elevated levels of CK (creatine kinase) and CK-MB (creatine kinase-MB) indicate heart damage, specifically a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). CK is an enzyme that is predominantly found in skeletal muscle, but when heart tissue is damaged, CK is released into the blood. The levels of CK and CK-MB increase rapidly within a short time after a heart attack, making them useful markers for diagnosing heart damage.
For example, in the case of a heart attack, the concentration of CK in the plasma is around 10 times higher than normal. If another heart attack occurs within a day or two, the concentration can increase up to 100 times, and a third attack within a short span of time can raise the level of CK to 300 times the normal concentration, which can be lethal.