INCREASED SERUM NEURON-SPECIFIC ENOLASE CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERGLYCEMIC CORTICAL ISCHEMIC STROKE

A detrimental effect of hyperglycemia in ischemic brain has been demon strated in laboratory experiments and it has been found that hyperglyc emia in ischemic stroke is a predictor of poor outcome. We determined serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) concentrations in 41 consecutive p atients with a cerebral hemispheric stroke between 12 and 24 h after s troke onset. In cortical ischemic strokes complicated by hyperglycemia (blood glucose concentration > 7 mmol/l) we found significantly highe r NSE levels than in normoglycemic patients. In lacunar ischemic strok es NSE levels were not significantly different between normoglycemic a nd hyperglycemic patients. Our findings support the concept that hyper glycemia during acute cortical ischemic stroke is associated with enha nced neuronal cell death. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.