S-100 protein as marker of the blood-brain barrier disruption in children with internal hydrocephalus and epilepsy--a preliminary study.

S-100 is a structural protein of the central nervous system. An elevated level of S-100 in CSF is generally considered to be a marker of nervous tissue damage. The presence of this protein in blood serum points to the functional and/or morphological disruption of the blood-brain barrier. We measured S-100 in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of children with two of the most often observed pathological states in child neurology--internal hydrocephalus and epilepsy. High levels of S-100 in CSF were detectable in children with internal hydrocephalus. Increased blood levels of S-100 protein were detectable in both groups of paediatric patients. Our preliminary results indicate neuronal damage in internal hydrocephalus and morphological and/or functional disturbances of the blood-brain barrier (their increased permeability) in both above mentioned disabilities.