title: Free fatty acids in cerebrospinal fluids from patients with traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are recognized as markers of brain damage in animal studies. There is, however, relatively little information regarding FFA concentrations in human CSF in normal and pathological conditions. The present study examined FFA concentrations in CSF from 15 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and compared the data with values obtained from 73 contemporary controls. Concentrations of specific FFAs from TBI patients, obtained within 48 h of the insult were significantly greater than those in the control group (arachidonic, docosahexaenoic and myristic, P<0.001; oleic, palmitic, P<0.01; linoleic, P<0.05). Higher concentrations of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (P<0.001) and of arachidonic, myristic and palmitic acids measured individually in CSF (P<0.01) obtained 1 week after the insult were associated with a worse outcome at the time of hospital discharge using the Glasgow Outcome Scale. This preliminary investigation suggests that CSF FFA concentrations may be useful as a predictive marker of outcome following TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, UHC-6E, 4201 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Julie G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Pilitsis
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Coplin
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: O'Regan
authors.forename: Jody M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wellwood
authors.forename: Fernando G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Marilynn R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fairfax
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Phillis
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D019814:Myristic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D019814:Myristic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid