Increased levels of somatomedins in human lumbar and central cerebrospinal fluid after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The somatomedins, multitargit growth-promoting peptide hormones, were measured with radio receptor assay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in 21 patients and after head injury in 2 patients. In the first group of 10 patients, lumbar (n = 8) or central (n = 2) CSF was collected on days three, six and nine after SAH. 6 of the 8 patients with SAH showed an increase in somatomedin concentrations ranging between 0.52-1.26 U/ml while 2 patients fell within the normal range between 0.19-0.48 U/ml. In the 2 patients with head injury, the somatomedin concentrations were scarcely detectable. In the second group of 13 patients with SAH, CSF was collected preoperatively during surgical clipping of an aneurysm. These patients fell into two groups: 6 patients who had CSF somatomedin levels within the normal range and 7 patients with pathologically increased somatomedin concentrations ranging between 0.38-1.26 U/ml. Neither the neurological condition nor the cerebral vascular diameter correlated with the somatomedin concentrations. It is suggested that the increased somatomedin levels in CSF after SAH could be a compensatory response in order to stimulate cerebral anabolism after injury.