Final answer:
Troponin levels increase in the blood within 3-4 hours following cell damage from a myocardial infarction and remains elevated for 1-2 weeks. Other biomarkers like Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) also rise shortly after damage, with CPK being the first enzyme to increase post-MI.
Step-by-step explanation:
Following cell damage, such as that sustained during a myocardial infarction (MI), several biomarkers can be measured to assess the extent of the damage. Troponin, which is a complex of three regulatory proteins integral for muscle contraction in skeletal and heart (cardiac) muscle, increases in the blood within 3-4 hours post-injury and remains elevated for about 1-2 weeks. It is a highly sensitive and specific marker for cardiac damage.
Similarly, other enzymes such as Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) also rise in concentration shortly after damage. CPK, known as the marker enzyme for diagnosing heart attacks, is the first enzyme to increase in the blood plasma following an MI. Transaminases, like aspartyl transaminase (AST or SGOT), increase within 4 to 5 days post-attack. There are also other biomarkers like the H4 or LDH₁ isoenzyme form of lactate dehydrogenase, which increases during an MI, with peak levels maintained in the plasma for 6 days following the attack.