The results of our study indicate that measuring blood concentrations of S-100 protein periodically in the first 10 days after cerebral infarction helps to predict infarct volume and the long-term neurological outcome more accurately than periodic measurements of blood concentrations of NSE.

Keywords: nerve tissue protein S100; schizophrenia; antipsychotic agents; negative symptomatology; psychiatric status S100B, a calcium-binding protein produced by astroglial cells, is a marker of astroglial cellular integrity. It has been shown to be increased in acute brain damage and neurodegeneration. A recent study showed increased S100B levels in medicated acutely psychotic patients with schizophrenia. The study presented here included 26 drug-free patients with acute schizophrenia and 26 matched healthy controls. S100B blood concentrations were determined using a quantitative immunoassay upon admission and after 6 weeks of neuroleptic treatment. The PANSS was used to investigate psychopathology. Unmedicated schizophrenic patients showed significantly increased S100B levels compared to matched healthy controls. After 6 weeks of treatment, 11 patients showed normal S100B levels while in 15 patients the levels remained increased. These patients showed significantly higher PANSS negative scores upon admission and after 6 weeks of treatment. Schizophrenic patients display a loss of astroglial integrity which is not caused by neuroleptic medication. Continuously increased S100B levels are associated with negative symptomatology. Molecular Psychiatry (2001) 6, 445-449.

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We investigated the level of S-100 protein in blood as an indicator of brain damage in 71 patients suffering from subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) due to ruptured aneurysms. Concentrations of S-100 protein were determined by micro-titre based immunofluorometic assay detecting predominantly S-100b on blood samples obtained 24 hours, 3 days and 7 days after onset of symptoms in patients with SAH and from 120 healthy control subjects. Neurological status was assessed using the Hunt and Hess (HH) scale on admission and by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) 6 months later. Mean concentrations of S-100 protein in blood were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in patients 24 hours (0.263 +/- 0.387 microgram/l), 3 days (0.192 +/- 0.288 microgram/l) and 7 days (0.256 +/- 0.442 microgram/l) after onset of SAH symptoms compared to controls (0.050 +/- 0.081 microgram/l). More severe neurological symptoms (higher HH scale scores) on admission correlated with higher S-100 levels on admission (R = 0.70) and Day 3 (R = 0.66) (p < 0.0001). Worse outcome (lower GOS score) 6 months after SAH was also associated with higher plasma concentration of S-100 in the first week after SAH. In summary, this study showed that in patients with SAH due to ruptured aneurysm, S-100 protein levels correlate with early neurological deficit and are as sensitive as HH scores in predicting neurological outcome (GOS scores). Measurement of S-100 protein in blood is a reliable non-invasive method and may be clinically useful to screen for and monitor progression of central nervous system diseases of various origins.