title: Correlation between serum neuron specific enolase and functional neurological outcome in patients of acute ischemic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of biomarkers to predict stroke prognosis is gaining particular attention nowadays. Neuron specific enolase (NSE), which is a dimeric isoenzyme of the glycolytic enzyme enolase and is found mainly in the neurons is one such biomarker.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out on patients of acute ischemic stroke with the aims to determine the correlation between NSE levels on the day of admission with infarct volume, stroke severity, and functional neurological outcome on day 30.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy five patients of acute ischemic stroke admitted in the Department of Medicine were included in the study. Levels of NSE were determined on day 1 using the human NSE ELISA kit (Alpha Diagnostic International Texas 78244, USA). Volume of infarct was measured by computed tomography (CT) scan using the preinstalled software Syngo (version A40A) of Siemen's medical solutions (Forchheim, Germany). Stroke severity at admission was assessed using Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and functional neurological outcome was assessed using modified Rankin scale (mRS) on day 30.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software for windows version 15.0 (SPSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive correlation was found between concentration of NSE on day 1 and infarct volume determined by CT scan (r = 0.955, P < 0.001). A strong negative correlation was found between GCS at presentation and concentration of NSE on day 1 (r = -0.806, P < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between NSE levels at day 1 and functional neurological outcome assessed by mRS at day 30 (r = 0.744, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of NSE in first few days of ischemic stroke can serve as a useful marker to predict stroke severity and early functional outcome. However, larger studies with serial estimation of NSE are needed to establish these observations more firmly.
authors: Department of Medicine, J N Medical College, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors: Sana
authors: S
authors: Zaheer
authors: Mujahid
authors: M
authors: Beg
authors: Imran
authors: I
authors: Rizvi
authors: Najmul
authors: N
authors: Islam
authors: Ekram
authors: E
authors: Ullah
authors: Nishat
authors: N
authors: Akhtar
keywords: Glasgow coma scale; infarct volume; ischemic stroke; modified Rankin scale; neuron specific enolase