Skip to content
Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter June 1, 2005

Neuron-Specific Enolase: Reference Values in Cord Blood

  • Kathrin Kintzel , Josef Sonntag , Evelyn Strauß and Michael Obladen

Abstract

With foetal sonography prenatal detection of tumours has become more frequent. To evaluate and treat these infants it is necessary to identify the tumour postnatally. Elevated neuron-specific enolase is a biochemical marker of neuroblastoma. Since conditions during birth may influence neuron-specific enolase concentration in foetal serum, specific reference values in cord blood are required. Cord blood samples were taken from 192 healthy term newborns and concentration of neuron-specific enolase was measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Median neuron-specific enolase concentration in the reference group was 8.0 μg/l and the 5th–95th percentiles were 4.8–19.4 μg/l. No differences between male and female newborns were detected (p = 0.13).

Measurement of neuron-specific enoloase in cord blood, in comparison with our reference values, offers an early postnatal possibility of confirming the diagnosis of neuroblastoma.

:
Published Online: 2005-06-01
Published in Print: 1998-04-30

Copyright © 1998 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG

Downloaded on 28.3.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/CCLM.1998.042/html
Scroll to top button