Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol and other oxysterols in acute closed head injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol, the primary catabolite of brain cholesterol, provide a measure of axonal damage in acute brain trauma.


METHODS
Determination of plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol in a series of persons admitted to an intensive care unit for treatment of closed head injury.


METHODS
Levels of 24-S-hydroxycholesterol, 27-hydroxycholesterol, lathosterol and total cholesterol were measured in peripheral blood from 38 persons from 14-55 years of age treated by craniotomy and ventriculostomy for intractable intracerebral hypertension. Severity of brain injury was estimated by the Glasgow Coma Scale (range = 3-13, median = 6 points) and overall injury by the Injury Severity Scale (range = 10-48, median = 29). All subjects were intubated and anaesthetized with intravenous propofol. Plasma sterol levels were compared with those of age-matched control subjects.


RESULTS
There was no significant increase in plasma 24-S-hydroxycholesterol in subjects with head injury, but measures of peripheral cholesterol synthesis were markedly reduced as compared with values for age-matched normal control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol levels do not change with severe closed head injury.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. myron.weiner@utsouthwestern.edu
Myron F
MF
Weiner
Gloria L
GL
Vega
Ramon
R
Diaz-Arrastia
Carol
C
Moore
Christopher
C
Madden
Anne
A
Hudak
Dieter
D
Lütjohann
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
D015415:Biomarkers; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; C044563:24-hydroxycholesterol; C076996:27-hydroxycholesterol; C001521:lathosterol; D002784:Cholesterol