Neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid of patients after severe head trauma

We studied head-injured patients assessed after admission to the hospital according to the Glasgow coma scale (3-8 points). All of them underwent surgical procedure after neuroradiological examination. Due to therapeutic problems, some of these patients had lumbar puncture on the fourth day following surgery. The control group consisted of patients with lumbosacral discopathy in whom lumbar puncture was performed during radiculography. The level of neuropeptide Y (NPY) was examined in 5 ml of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The concentration of NPY in CSF was assayed radioimmunologically. Taking into account our results and the clinical course of disease we suggest that high concentration of NPY in lumbar fluid in severe head-injured patients may contribute to poor clinical outcome.