Aldosterone, catecholamines, and CK-BB as biochemical markers in hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.

The author measured blood concentrations of aldosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and creatine kinase isozyme (brain type) (CK-BB) in 65 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these measurements in determining the severity of acute cerebral damage in such patients. There were 42 males and 23 females ranging in age from 30 to 93 years. Their clinical status was classified as mild or severe on the basis of neurological grading. In the mild group, plasma aldosterone increased slightly at the onset of disease, while the other markers showed no change. In contrast, the severe group showed elevation of all markers on admission, with a gradual return to normal by day 3 to day 7 of hospitalization. Analysis of the data by hematoma site revealed that aldosterone levels increased in patients with thalamic hemorrhage; epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were high in those with pontine hemorrhage; and CK-BB levels were elevated in cases of thalamic and cerebellar hemorrhage. It was also noted that patients in whom all four markers were increased tended to have poor outcomes.