title: Correlation of pre-morbid alcoholism and changes in the level of biogenic amine metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid of accute brain infarction patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The disorder of biogenic amine metabolism (serotonin - 5-HT and dopamine - DA) is expected in the brain (neuron) damage caused by acute ischemia. It is known that long-term abuse of ethyl-alcohol damages the quality of neurons diffusely in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its biochemical content, 5-HT and DA, are reliable indicators of the vitality of neurons. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate that the elevated content of metabolites 5-HT and DA in the CSF in patients with acute brain infarction, who were pre-morbid alcohol-dependent patients, is additionally emphasized by diffusive damage of neuron vitality caused by alcoholism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study sample consists of two groups - 50 alcohol-dependent patients with acute brain infarction under the age of 65 (group A) and 50 patients with acute brain infarction who were not alcohol-dependent (group B). All subjects underwent the same procedure - CSF was taken during admission to the hospital and history was obtained through anamnesis, heteroanamnesis and clinical examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Metabolism of DA and metabolic turnover of DA (3, 4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid + homovanilic acid; DOPAC + HVA) was elevated in the liquor of both patient groups. The statistically significant difference between the groups was found in metabolic turnover of 5-HT (p<0.05), and metabolic turnover of DA (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The metabolic neuron disbalance, i.e. their pathophysiological-biochemical dysfunction as a result of acute brain infarction, is present in a higher degree in patients with pre-morbid long-term alcohol abuse.
authors.affiliation: Special Psychiatric Hospital Laza Lazarević, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Milutin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nenadović
authors.forename: Sreten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vićentić
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nenadović
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jašović-Gašić
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D004298:Dopamine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012701:Serotonin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine