Background: Myoglobin is a low-molecular weight protein present in the cytosol of striated muscles. Its concentrations in serum can be measured by immunoassays and are used as an early indicator of myocardial necrosis. Since variability among commercial myoglobin assays exists, standardization of myoglobin assays is needed.
Methods: An international collaborative study was organized with the involvement of seven companies using 12 different automated platforms for measuring myoglobin. Five candidate secondary, i.e., matrixed, reference materials were assayed in relation to linearity, imprecision, recovery rate and commutability to demonstrate a possible identity between the materials and the usual routine serum samples.
Results: One lyophilized candidate material (human heart myoglobin in human serum) was selected as the most suitable secondary reference material, based on the criteria examined. Used as a calibrator a posteriori, the bias between the various myoglobin assays for a frozen human serum pool was reduced from 32% to 13%.
Conclusion: This study provides the basis for the selection of an internationally recognized secondary reference material.