title: Nervous system-specific enolase in serum as a marker for neuroblastoma.
abstract: Serum levels of nervous system-specific enolase (alpha gamma form plus gamma gamma form) were determined in 18 patients with neuroblastoma and in 40 control infants by means of a sandwich enzyme immunoassay method specific to the gamma subunit (or 14-3-2 protein) of enolase isozymes. Levels in patients with neuroblastoma were elevated (mean, 70.3; range, 6.2 to 330.0 ng/mL) when compared with those of control subjects (4.3 +/- 1.7 ng/mL). Most of the patients (6/7), whose serum nervous system-specific enolase level increased more than 100 ng/mL, died within 1 month. Serial measurements in patients with neuroblastoma receiving various therapies have revealed that there was a good correlation between serum nervous system-specific enolase levels and the course of the disease. These results indicate that the nervous system-specific enolase in serum may be a valuable marker for therapeutic monitoring of patients with neuroblastoma, as reported recently in patients with small-cell carcinoma of the lung.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D006719:Homovanillic Acid