Temporal Relationship Between Endothelin-1 Concentrations and Cerebral Vasospasm in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Abstract

CSF ET-1 levels were markedly elevated in patients with clinical manifestations of vasospasm (day 7) and with a poor neurological condition not related to vasospasm. However, ET-1 levels were low in clinical vasospasm patients before clinical symptoms were evident (day 4) and remained low in angiographic vasospasm patients throughout the study period. Thus, our data suggest that CSF ET-1 levels are increased in conditions of severe neuronal damage regardless whether this was due to vasospasm or to the primary hemorrhagic event. In addition, CSF ET-1 levels paralleled the neurological deterioration but were not predictive of vasospasm.