Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE): a valuable prognostic factor of Central Nervous System dysfunction following cardiac surgery

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluateneuron specific enolase (NSE) as prognosticfactor for CNS disorders developed in relationto cardiac surgery.Patients and methods: A cohort of 92 patientswere divided into two groups; the experimentalgroup consisted of patients undergoing openheartbypass surgery (50 patients) and the controlgroup consisting of 42 patients undergoinggeneral surgery procedures. The blood levels ofNSE were measured in both groups before and24 h after the operation and have been relatedto the incidence of the postoperative braindamage as well as to the duration of the extracorporealcirculation (ECC).Results: The analysis of our results showed thatthe changes of blood NSE levels, before andimmediately after ECC in open-heart surgeryhave been related to the incidence of postoperativebrain dysfunction according to a specificmathematical equation. This incidence wasraised also in relation to the age of the patient andthe duration of ECC. On the contrary, NSE seemsto have no prognostic value in general surgery.