title: Neopterin levels in patients with cerebrovascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The recovery period in ischemic cerebrovascular disease is sometimes long and complicated. It is thought that a systemic inflammatory response plays an important role in this process. Therefore, promising studies have reported that neopterin and other cytokines serve as indicators of the inflammatory response. The present study investigated the effects of cerebrovascular diseases on plasma neopterin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 68 consecutive patients under 65 years of age with cerebrovascular disease; the mean age was 52.08±5.74 years (yrs) (ranging from 39 yrs to 64 yrs; 28 female and 40 male). We also studied 29 randomly selected age-matched healthy subjects (control); the mean age was 49.76±13.11 years (yrs) (ranging from 41 yrs to 62 yrs; 12 female and 17 male). Blood samples for assessing plasma levels of neopterin were usually taken within seven days after admission to the hospital and stored at -20°C until analysis. Serum neopterin levels in all the subjects were measured by Enzyme Immunoassay (EÝA) using the BRAHMS method (Neopterin; Diagnostic GmbH, 16761 Berlin, Germany). Differences between the groups' means were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values of neopterin levels in patients (mean neopterin levels in patients, 18.51 ± 11.56 nmol/L; vs. control, 12.26 ± 3.87 nmol/L [p=.001]) were significantly different when compared with the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It has been suggested that the mortality and morbidity associated with cerebrovascular disease could be prevented by a reduction in the inflammatory response. We suggest that plasma neopterin levels were significantly increased. So, the levels of plasma neopterin may be useful monitoring of treatment and course of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hizir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ulvi
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Emre
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aygul
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varoğlu
authors.affiliation: Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Biochemistry, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kara
keywords: Ischemic cerebrovascular disease; Neopterin; Systemic inflammatory response