Diagnosis of traumatical and hypoxial changes of the CNS--immunohistochemical study

The immunohistochemical detection of neuron-specific enolase and b-amyloid percursor protein were used in the group of deceased on craniocerebral injury and those who died of prolonged hypoxy without mechanical injury of the brain. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is produced by nerve cells and is a suitable marker for both the damage of neurons and axons. While undamaged nerve cells show immunoreactivity with the antibody anti-NSE, a significant decrease of this protein substance was noticed within two hours both in mechanical injury and in cases of prolonged hypoxy. We noticed the presence of NSE in damaged axons already several minutes after the injury whereas the hypoxy of brain without mechanical injury didn't show any or a very slight reaction of axons when examined with anti-NSE without topographic link to axonal lesion. b-amyloid percursor protein (b-APP) is a low molecular protein which the normal values of are not to be found in axons detected by standard immunohistochemistry. We noticed an increased frequency of appearance of this protein substance in axons changed by injury, while a reactive positivity to anti-body b-APP was to be found only rarely at the brain hypoxy without mechanical injury CNS.