Phosphorylated neurofilament subunit levels in the serum of cervical compressive myelopathy patients. Issue 10 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kato, So; Chikuda, Hirotaka; Ohya, Junichi; Hayakawa, Kentaro; Takeshita, Katsushi; Tanaka, Sakae; Ogata, Toru
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical neuroscience. Volume 22:Issue 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1638
• Page End: 1642
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Brain -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Brain -- surgery -- Periodicals; Neurosurgical Procedures -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2015.03.047
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0967-5868

Abstract

<abstract xml:lang="en" abstract-type="author" id="ab005"> <title id="st110">Abstract</title> <sec> <p id="sp0005">We investigated the serum levels of the phosphorylated form of the high molecular weight neurofilament subunit (pNF-H) in patients with cervical compressive myelopathy. pNF-H is becoming increasingly recognized as a biomarker for axonal injury, however, it remains unclear whether serum pNF-H is elevated in chronic spinal cord compression. We examined 26 patients who underwent surgery for cervical compressive myelopathy. Peripheral blood samples were obtained both preoperatively and 1 week after surgery to evaluate the serum pNF-H levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A history of recent aggravation of myelopathy was also investigated. Of the 26 myelopathy patients, the preoperative serum pNF-H level was negative in 20 patients and moderately elevated in six. Patients who were positive for pNF-H were more likely to have had a recent aggravation of myelopathy compared with the pNF-H negative patients (83 <italic>versus</italic> 25%; p = 0.02). All patients who were positive for pNF-H before surgery remained positive after surgery. Two patients who became positive after surgery demonstrated a neurologic deterioration associated with the surgery. In conclusion, the serum pNF-H level was negative in the majority of patients with cervical compressive myelopathy. Our results suggest that an elevated serum level of pNF-H is associated with an acute worsening of myelopathy and that a positive conversion of pNF-H after surgery is a marker of perioperative neural damage.</p> </sec> </abstract>