title: Brain injury markers (S100B and NSE) in chronic cocaine dependents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies have shown signs of brain damage caused by different mechanisms in cocaine users. The serum neuron specific enolase and S100B protein are considered specific biochemical markers of neuronal and glial cell injury. This study aimed at comparing blood levels of S100B and NSE in chronic cocaine users and in volunteers who did not use cocaine or other illicit drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty subjects dependent on cocaine but not on alcohol or marijuana, and 20 non-substance using controls were recruited. Subjects were selected by consecutive and non-probabilistic sampling. Neuron specific enolase and S100B levels were determined by luminescence assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cocaine users had significantly higher scores than controls in all psychiatric dimensions of the SCL-90 and had cognitive deficits in the subtest cubes of WAIS and the word span. Mean serum S100B level was 0.09 +/- 0.04 microg/l among cocaine users and 0.08 +/- 0.04 microg/l among controls. Mean serum neuron specific enolase level was 9.7 +/- 3.5 ng/l among cocaine users and 8.3 +/- 2.6 ng/l among controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this first study using these specific brain damage markers in cocaine users, serum levels of S100B and neuron specific enolase were not statistically different between cocaine dependent subjects and controls.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil. kessler.ez@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Felix Henrique Paim
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Woody
authors.forename: Luís Valmor Cruz
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Portela
authors.forename: Adriano Bretanha Lopes
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Tort
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Boni
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Wolf Baldino
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Peuker
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Genro
authors.forename: Lísia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Diemen
authors.forename: Diogo Onofre Gomes
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pechansky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579160:S100B protein, human; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase