Cerebrospinal fluid and serum chitotriosidase levels in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: preliminary results.

AIM The purpose of this study was to investigate the time course(s) of the cerebrospinal fluid and serum chitotriosidase changes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and to show whether cerebrospinal fluid and/or serum chitotriosidase levels might be used as a specific marker for disease severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Chitotriosidase in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum was measured within the first 3 days, at Day 5 and at Day 7 after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in 20 patients, and the results were compared to 8 patients with normotensive hydrocephalus. RESULTS Mean cerebrospinal fluid chitotriosidase levels were found to be higher on days 5 and 7 of subarachnoid hemorrhage and the serum levels were always higher than controls at all times in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. However, no relationship was found between elevated chitotriosidase levels and the clinical parameters including symptomatic vasospasm and outcome at 6 months. CONCLUSION Results indicate that chitotriosidase is elevated in the acute stages of subarachnoid hemorrhage but is not a specific marker of subarachnoid hemorrhage severity.