title: Elevated plasma S100B levels in high altitude hypobaric hypoxia do not correlate with acute mountain sickness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ascent to high altitude may result in a hypobaric hypoxic brain injury. The development of acute mountain sickness (AMS) is considered a multifactorial process with hypoxia-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and resultant vasogenic oedema cited as one potential mechanism. Peripheral S100B is considered a biomarker of BBB dysfunction. This study aims to investigate the S100B release profile secondary to hypoxic brain injury and comment on BBB disturbance and AMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective field study of 12 subjects who ascended Mt Fuji (3700 m) was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean baseline plasma S100B level was 0·11 μg/l (95% CI 0·09-0·12), which increased to 0·22 μg/l (95% CI 0·17-0·27) at the average of three high altitude levels (2590, 3700, and 2590 m on descent) (P < 0·001). The mean level for the seven subjects who experienced AMS rose from 0·10 to 0·19 μg/l compared to 0·12 to 0·25 μg/l for the five subjects who did not develop AMS (P  =  0·33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ascending to 3700 m resulted in elevated plasma S100B levels but this was not associated with AMS.
authors.forename: Craig D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cardinal
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C579160:S100B protein, human; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Acute mountain sickness; Brain injury,; Hypobaric hypoxia,; Plasma S100B,