Early elevation of S-100B protein in blood after cardiac surgery is not a predictor of ischemic cerebral injury.

Background: We hypothesized that early changes in S-100B levels after cardiac surgery are nonspecific and mostly reflect damage to tissues outside the brain rather than ischemic brain damage.

Methods: We measured serum levels of S-100B at several times perioperatively in 21 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In addition, we measured levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), creatine kinase (CK), the cardiac isoenzyme of CK (CK-MB), and myoglobin (MB) in these patients.