Investigating the Levels of Brain-Specific Proteins in Hydrocephalus Patients

Abstract

Background: Hydrocephalus, a common brain disorder in children, can cause permanent brain damage. A timely diagnosis of this disorder is crucial. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of S-100, CK-18, and NSE brainspecific proteins in patients with hydrocephalus. We examined the levels of these proteins in the blood samples of hydrocephalic patients. Methods: The study was conducted on the hydrocephalus (n = 31) patients and a healthy control group (n = 30). A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the validity of the NSE, CK-18, and S100B to differentiate between the hydrocephalus and the control groups. The suitability of the data to the normal distribution was tested with the Shapiro Wilk test, and the Student t-test was used to compare the characteristics of the normal distribution in two independent groups. The individuals in the hydrocephalus and control groups had similar values in terms of age, height, and weight. Results: It was observed that NSE, CK-18, and S100B mean values of the individuals in the hydrocephalus group were significantly higher than NSE, CK-18, and S100B mean values of the control group. Conclusion: Experiments have shown that the levels of these proteins increase significantly in hydrocephalus patients compared to the healthy group. These three parameters can be considered as important markers in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus.