Brain injury markers (S100B and NSE) in chronic cocaine dependents.
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.
Kessler
Felix Henrique Paim
FH
Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil. kessler.ez@terra.com.br
Woody
George
G
Portela
Luís Valmor Cruz
LV
Tort
Adriano Bretanha Lopes
AB
De Boni
Raquel
R
Peuker
Ana Carolina Wolf Baldino
AC
Genro
Vanessa
V
von Diemen
Lísia
L
de Souza
Diogo Onofre Gomes
DO
Pechansky
Flavio
F
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*
D015415:Biomarkers; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579160:S100B protein, human; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase