Clinical Application of a New Enzyme-linked Assay for the Estimation of Brain-specific Creatine Kinase in Head Injured Patients

Abstract

The clinical value of serum brain specific creatine kinase (CK-BB) was assessed in head injured patients (group A) using a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were compared to healthy controls (group B) and patients post-myocardial infarction (group C). None of the head injured patients had undergone a surgical procedure or ventricular puncture. CK-BB was significantly higher in group A than in controls. The level of CK-BB in group A was inversely proportional to the Glasgow Coma Scale on admission. All patients with a CK-BB >100 μg/l died. The ELISA technique is a simple and reliable assay with prognostic significance in patients with head injury and has wider clinical application than the previously described radioimmunoassay methods.

Key Words:

• Acute head injury
• brain creatine kinase
• ELISA assay