[The determination in the blood of the enzyme neuron-specific enolase in children with acute encephalopathies: the prognostic value in neurological sequelae].
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate if there is a correlation between blood levels of the enzyme neuron-specific enolase in children with non-traumatic acute encephalopathies with severe alterations in consciousness and the neurological sequellae.


METHODS
Neuron-specific enolase (EC 4.2.1.11) activity in plasma was measured by radioimmunoassay in 9 children aged 7 months to 5 years, who suffered acute encephalopathy and coma of non-traumatic origin. The etiology was acute viral encephalitis (n = 4), near drowning (n = 2), shock (n = 2) and cardiac arrest (n = 1). Blood samples were obtained between 24 and 72 hours after the onset of encephalopathy. The neurological status was evaluated 18 months after the onset of encephalopathy in the 8 surviving patients (1 patient with brain death criteria died in the acute stage).


RESULTS
Enzyme activities were significantly higher in the children who showed neurological sequelae (median 68.9 ng/ml, range 35.0-95.6, n = 4) than in those who did not present neurological abnormalities (median 15.8 ng/ml, range 9.7-18.7, n = 5), with p < 0.05. No differences were found between the latter and the control group (median 7.7 ng/ml, range 4.1-12.7, n = 10).


CONCLUSIONS
It appears that the presence of elevated neuron-specific enolase in blood is predictive of neurological outcome in children with acute encephalopathies of non-traumatic origin.
Verdú Pérez
A
A
Unidad de Neuropediatría, Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Toledo.
Garde Morales
T
T
Martínez Campos
M
M
Rinaudo Zanirato
R
R
Alonso Martín
J A
JA
D000208:Acute Disease; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
Determinación en sangre de la enzima enolasa específica neuronal en niños con encefalopatías agudas: valor pronóstico de secuelas neurológicas.