title: Discordant temporal patterns of S100beta and cleaved tau protein elevation after head injury: a pilot study.
abstract: There is considerable interest in S100beta protein as a potential marker that can be used to quantify central nervous system injury. However, increasing appreciation that S100beta may be produced by non-neural tissue (specifically adipocytes), has led to a search for more specific markers of brain injury. Recent interests have focused on a cleaved form of tau protein (c tauP) which is elevated in CSF from patients suffering traumatic brain injury. We have investigated whether levels in peripheral blood are a satisfactory alternative to provide an accessible marker of CNS injury severity. We measured levels of S100beta and c tauP in arterial blood from 20 patients with severe head injury. When compared with normal values S100beta was elevated 10-fold in the first 24 hours and c tauP was elevated at all time points, but showed a reversal of the temporal trend observed with S100beta. Patients with a poor outcome (GOS 1-3) had significantly higher S100beta levels on day one. Plasma c tauP levels did not correlate with outcome following head injury.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Anaesthesia, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chatfield
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Zemlan
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Menon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins