title: Detectable concentrations of Fas ligand in cerebrospinal fluid after severe head injury.
abstract: When the cell surface molecule Fas is triggered by its agonist Fas ligand the result is apoptosis of these cells and tissue destruction. To elucidate the pathophysiological relevance of Fas ligand in patients with cerebral oedema caused by trauma, we examined its concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid in 18 patients using specific ELISA. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid from healthy people and injured patients without head trauma did not contain detectable Fas ligand. In contrast, cerebrospinal fluid from patients with severe brain injury contained high concentrations of Fas ligand without detectable concentrations in serum. Soluble Fas ligand concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid correlated significantly with severity of brain injury. The Fas-Fas ligand-system may have a pivotal role in causing oedema and local tissue destruction in the brain after severe head injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ertel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Imhof
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leist
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Steckholzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Trentz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000276:immunology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000276:immunology; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012995:Solubility; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor