Endothelin Immunoreactivity in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

A radioimmunoassay method for endothelin was developed. Antisera raised against endothelin 1 showed significant crossreaction with endothelin 2 and 3 (45 and 13 %, respectively). Considerable endothelin immunoreactivity was shown to be present in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, ranging from 0.3 pmol/l cerebrospinal fluid to 4.5 pmol/l cerebrospinal fluid, though no endothelin immunoreacitivity was observed in the cerebrospinal fluid of controls and patients with cerebral infarction, subdural haematoma or brain tumours. Endothelin immunoreactivity was also observed in two out of five cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with cerebral bleeding. Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography showed that the main immunoreactive component in cerebrospinal fluid appeared to elute at the same position. There was, however, an immunoreactive component which eluted at the same position as endothelin 3. These results may support the idea that endothelin immunoreactivity...