[Sequential changes in serum complement after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage]

Twenty-one patients were submitted to investigate serum complements (CH50, C3, C4) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage during a 2 to 3-week period. As for the control, the same examination was carried out in patients with non-subarachnoid hemorrhage such as hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. There was no remarkable changes of serum complements in the control patients. Preoperative grading (Hunt & Hess) was well correlated with C4 level but not C3 level. Ce and C4 level of the patients without symptomatic vasospasm did not change markedly after subarachnoid hemorrhage during the investigation, while they decreased severely in patients with severe vasospasm and major neurological deficit. The patients with mild symptomatic vasospasm without major neurological deficit showed transient decrease of C3 and C4 level in the period of 5 to 10 days after subarachnoid hemorrhage. These data show that sequential determinations of serum complements (C3 and C4) level after subarachnoid hemorrhage is a useful method for the choice of therapy, and for the prognosis of aneurysmal patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage.