Serum neurone specific enolase (NSE) levels as an indicator of neuronal damage in patients with cerebral infarction

Abstract

A radioimmunoassay has been developed and used to measure serum neurone specific enolase (NSE) concentrations in 24 patients, following cerebral infarction. A significant correlation between cerebral infarct volume and maximum serum NSE concentration was observed (P = 0.047). Serum NSE was also assayed at times 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post ictus. At 72 h a significant correlation existed between serum NSE levels and infarct volume (P = 0.012), and levels appeared to be approaching statistical significance at 48 h (P = 0.067). No correlation existed at 24 and 96 h. In addition serum concentrations of NSE were compared to clinical outcome as determined by the Glasgow Outcome Score. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, there was no significant difference in maximum NSE level between patients graded 1-3 on the Glasgow Outcome Score and those graded 4 and 5. However, further studies are required on a larger population to more completely assess this. NSE may prove to be a useful marker of neuronal damage in the study of stroke, with particular application in the assessment of treatment.

Brain metastases at the time of presentation of non-small cell lung cancer: a multi-centric AERIO* analysis of prognostic factors

“…One piece of evidence which can support this hypothesis is the relationship between the degree of neuronal damage and the serum NSE level following a cerebral stroke (Cunningham et al, 1991(Cunningham et al, , 1996DeGiorgio et al, 1995DeGiorgio et al, , 1999Fogel et al, 1997;Missler et al, 1997;Martens et al, 1998;Buttner et al, 1999;Schoerkhuber et al, 1999;Wunderlich et al, 1999) or other neuronal brain damage (DeGiorgio et al, 1995(DeGiorgio et al, , 1999Fogel et al, 1997;Martens et al, 1998; Buttner et al, 1999;Schoerkhuber et al, 1999). In these diseases, the serum NSE level exhibits a prognostic indication inasmuch as studies have found a close relationship between the volume of affected neuronal tissue and the serum NSE level (Cunningham et al, 1991(Cunningham et al, , 1996Missler et al, 1997;Wunderlich et al, 1999). We hypothesize that the poor outcome of patients with a high NSE level and brain metastasis is due to the severity of normal neuronal tissue damage surrounding metastases.…”

Spermidine: A Predictor for Neurological Outcome and Infarct Size in Focal Cerebral Ischemia?

“…Neuronspecific enolase was shown to be an important marker for the prognosis of global ischemia, for example, after resuscitation, but has failed to show significant correlation in focal cerebral ischemia. 19 S-100 protein is a major component of cytosol, especially in astroglial cells, and can be found in serum after experimental focal ischemic brain damage and various other brain injuries. In clinical investigation, S-100 protein did increase in the serum only after 2 or 3 days after onset of stroke when the cranial CT scan already showed clear demarcation of infarction.…”

PARK7 and Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase A as Plasma Markers for the Early Diagnosis of Stroke

“…Previously studied plasma markers have not been found to have utility in the routine assessment of stroke patients in a large cohort. For example, tau (4 -6 ), neuron-specific enolase, and B-type neurotrophic growth factor (7)(8)(9) have been reported as neuronal markers of stroke, and astroglial protein S-100b (7,10,11 ) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (12 ) have been described as glial markers of stroke. Inflammation mediators such as C-reactive protein (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), serum amyloid A (19 ), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (10,11,20 ), vascular and intracellular cell adhesion molecules (11,18 ), tumor necrosis factor ␣, and interleukins (interleukin-1, -6, and -8) (14, 16 -18 ) have also been investigated as surrogate markers for the diagnosis of stroke.…”