title: Apolipoprotein E genotype and traumatic brain injury in children--association with neurological outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the presence of Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 genotype (ApoE epsilon4) is associated with outcomes of traumatic brain injury in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ApoE genotype was examined in the group of 70 pediatric patients who suffered from traumatic brain injury. The group consists of 48 boys and 22 girls, and the most frequent was the E3 isoform of ApoE. Polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used for the ApoE genotype assessment. The severity of trauma was assessed by Glasgow Coma Scale and graded into three categories. The presence of focal neurology signs, comparing the admission and dimission status, and duration of hospital care were observed. The neurological outcome after 1 year was assessed by Glasgow Outcome Scale. Trauma severity was compared with the neurological outcome, according to different ApoE genotypes. For statistical processing, t test, nonparametric Wilcoxon test, Fisher, and chi(2) tests were used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest the association between the ApoE genotype and outcome of traumatic brain injury in children. Patients with ApoE epsilon4 genotype were more likely to have severe clinical symptomatology and unfavorable neurological outcome after traumatic brain injury compared to significantly better outcome with other ApoE genotype.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Surgery, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Brno Faculty Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic. brichtovae@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brichtová
authors.forename: Libor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kozák
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E