Brain ischaemia initiates series of biochemical reactions that directly or indirectly can trigger processes leading to damage of numerous cellular and subcellular structures. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is reported as a reliable marker of neuronal tissue damage. In this study we evaluated NSE levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from the patients with focal cerebral ischemia and with different neurological disorders in order to study possible differences in the protein concentrations. In the control group (N = 17) the mean NSE value (± SD) in CSF was 3.22 (± 1.34) µg/l and in serum 8,1 (± 2.35) µg/l. Increased NSE values in CSF (> 6 µg/l) and in serum (> 12 µg/l) were found in the following neurological diseases: focal cerebral ischemia (19/26 CSL and 19/26 serum), tumors of CNS (14/16 CSL and 14/16 serum), epilepsy (4/24 CSL and 2/24 serum), migraine/cephalea (1/24 CSL and 0/24 serum) and lumboischialgic syndrome (7/56 CSL and 9/56 serum). The presented results suggest that NSE assay can be regarded as an unspecific screening parameter for organic CNS pathology.

        Key words: focal cerebral ischemia, neuron-specific enolase, NSE, cerebrospinal fluid, serum.