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Abstracts from The 34(th) Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium June 26-29, 2016 Lexington, Kentucky.
Objectives: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin Cterminal
hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) have been studied as potential
biomarkers of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We report the
levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 in patients with acute orthopedic injuries
without central nervous system involvement and relate them to the
levels in patients with CT-negative mTBI.
Methods: Serum UCH-L1 and GFAP were measured from 73 patients
with acute orthopedic injury. The injury types were recorded
and most of the patients underwent also a head MRI. The results were
compared to those found in patients with CT-negative mTBI (n = 93).
Results: The levels of GFAP were higher in patients with acute
orthopedic trauma than in patients with CT-negative mTBI
(p = 0.026). The levels of UCH-L1 were not significantly different
between these two groups. Those patients with orthopedic trauma,
who had levels of either or both of these biomarkers in the upper
quartile, had significantly higher levels of both biomarkers than patients
with CT-negative mTBI (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 were not able to distinguish
patients with CT negative mTBI from patients with orthopedic
trauma. Patients with orthopedic trauma and high levels of
UCH-L1 or GFAP values may be falsely diagnosed as having a
concomitant mTBI. This casts a significant doubt on their diagnostic
value in cases with mTBI.
Keywords: GFAP, UCH-L1, orthopedic injur
Glial fibrillary acidic protein and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 are not specific biomarkers for mild CT-negative traumatic brain injury
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) have been studied as potential biomarkers of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We report the levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 in patients with acute orthopedic injuries without central nervous system involvement, and relate them to the type of extracranial injury, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 in patients with CT-negative mTBI. Serum UCH-L1 and GFAP were longitudinally measured from 73 patients with acute orthopedic injury on arrival and on days 1, 2, 3, 7 after admission, and on the follow-up visit 3-10 months after the injury. The injury types were recorded, and 71% patients underwent also head MRI. The results were compared with those found in patients with CT-negative mTBI (n = 93). The levels of GFAP were higher in patients with acute orthopedic trauma than in patients with CT-negative mTBI (p = 0.026) on arrival; however, no differences were found on the following days. The levels of UCH-L1 were not significantly different between these two groups at any measured point of time. Levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 were not able to distinguish patients with CT-negative mTBI from patients with orthopedic trauma. Patients with orthopedic trauma and high levels of UCH-L1 or GFAP values may be falsely diagnosed as having a concomitant mTBI, predisposing them to unwarranted diagnostics and unnecessary brain imaging. This casts a significant doubt on the diagnostic value of GFAP and UCH-L1 in cases with mTBI