Evaluation of cholinergic enzymes and selected biochemical parameters in the serum of patients with a diagnosis of acute subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the most severe form of hemorrhagic stroke and accounts for 5-7% of all strokes. Several chemical enzymes and cytokines are thought to cause reactions that may affect the mortality and morbidity of SAH patients. This study aimed to examine the possible relationships between these parameters and the occurrence of SAH and the clinical-radiological parameters in patients with acute SAH.

Methods

This study evaluated 44 patients, including 20 with SAH and 24 controls. We obtained blood from the patients and control groups, which was stored in heparinized tubes and used in determining tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), caspase-3, and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes.

Results

TNF-α, BDNF, AChE, and BChE enzyme levels were not related to the Glasgow Coma scale (GCS) score in the patient group (p > 0.05), whereas higher enzyme levels of caspase-3 were associated with lower GCS scores (p < 0.05). The difference between the control and patient groups in terms of mean TNF-α levels was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The BDNF levels were statistically insignificant in the patient groups (p > 0.05). Caspase-3, AChE, and BChE levels were significantly different between the control and patient groups (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our results may be valuable for predicting the prognosis, diagnosis, and follow-up of patients with SAH. However, further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between the clinical and radiological results in patients with SAH and certain enzymes, cytokines, and growth factors.

Acute aneurysm surgery using three-dimensional CT angiogrphy without conventional catheter angiography

The object of this study is to assess whether aneurysm surgery can be performed in patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms by using three-dimensional computerized tomography angiography (3D-CTA) alone, without conventional catheter angiography (CCA). Between May 1994 and November 1996, a consecutive series of 60 cases of ruptured cerebral aneurysms was evaluated by both 3D-CTA and CCA prospectively and compared the detectability of cerebral aneurysms. Both 3D-CTA and CCA demonstrated a 100% diagnostic accuracy of ruptured cerebral aneurysms. In the associated unruptured cerebral aneurysms, the diagnostic accuracies of 3D-CTA and CCA were 96% and 92%, respectively. Based on the results, we have operated on 128 consecutive patients with ruptured aneurysms in the acute stage based on 3D-CTA findings since December 1996. One hundred twenty eight ruptured aneurysms including 50 associated unruptured aneurysms were detected by 3D-CTA. In seven of 128 ruptured aneurysms, which included four dissecting vertebral artery aneurysms, two basilar artery (BA) tip aneurysms, and one BA-superior cerebellar artery (SCA) aneurysm, 3D-CTA was followed by CCA to obtain diagnostic confirmation or information concerning the vein of Labbé, which was needed to guide the surgical approach for BA tip aneurysms. All of the ruptured aneurysms were confirmed at surgery and treated successfully. One hundred twenty one patients who underwent surgery with 3D-CTA findings only had no complications related to the lack of information of CCA. The authors considered that 3D-CTA could replace CCA in the diagnosis of ruptured aneurysms and that surgery could be performed in almost all acutely ruptured aneurysms by using only 3D-CTA without CCA.