[The value of neuron specific enolase (NSE) in patients with brain tumors]

gamma gamma-Enolase is considered a specific protein of neuron, which is called neuron specific enolase (NSE). Recent reports clarified that NSE exists not only in neurons but also in neuroendocrine cells, thrombocytes and lymphocytes. Besides normal neuronal tissues, high serum levels of NSE were noticed in the patients with neuroblastomas, small cell carcinomas of the lung, and malignant gliomas, etc. In order to clarify the usefulness of NSE as a marker for intracranial neoplasms or an indicator for prognosis of the patients with intra-cranial tumors, we studied serum, CSF and intratumoral fluid levels of NSE in 62 patients with intra-cranial tumors by radioimmunoassay. Serum level of NSE in healthy adults ranged from 4.1 to 8.9 ng/ml (5.6 +/- 1.38 ng/ml, n = 15) and that of CSF ranged from 4.9 to 7.3 ng/ml (means 6.1 ng/ml, n = 3). Serum samples from patients with malignant gliomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors contained abnormally high level of NSE, of which mean value were 22.3 ng/ml and 16.1 ng/ml, respectively. However, serum samples from patients with low grade gliomas and other intracranial tumors arising from non-neuroectodermal tissues were within normal range. In 9 patients, not only serum levels but CSF levels and/or intratumoral cyst levels of NSE were examined at the same time. Except one meningioma case, CSF levels of NSE were higher (4.9-55.3 ng/ml, mean: 19.3 ng/ml) than that of serum levels (2.3-17.3 ng/ml, mean: 12.7 ng/ml). Mean NSE concentrations of intratumoral fluids in both malignant and benign tumors were 181.7 ng/ml, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)