title: The comparison of C-proteasome activity in the plasma of children after burn injury, mild head injury and blunt abdominal trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate and compare the changes in circulating 20S proteasome activity in the plasma of children suffering from blunt abdominal trauma, thermal injury and mild head injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 40 patients with burns, 35 children admitted due to mild head injury, and 30 children suffering from blunt abdominal trauma, who were admitted to Pediatric Surgery Department of Medical University of Bialystok Poland, between 2010 and 2014, and their parents gave informed consent, were included into the study. Patients were aged 9 months to 17 years (median=5.73±1.91y). The girls to boys ratio was nearly 1:2 (34 girls and 106 boys). Plasma proteasome activity was assessed using Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC peptide substrate, 2-6h, 12-16h, and 48h after the injury. 20 healthy children admitted for planned inguinal hernia repair served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our series of patients, the C-proteasome activity was much higher 12-16h after burns, than after mild head injuries, or blunt abdominal injuries, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating 20S proteasome is probably released from damaged tissues in response to the injury and is a biomarker of tissue damage - more severe in the group of burnt patients in comparison to the patients with mild head injury and blunt abdominal trauma. Therefore detection of 20S proteasome may represent a novel marker of immunological activity and cellular degradation in trauma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. Electronic address: ewamat@tlen.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matuszczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tylicka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dębek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hermanowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ostrowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
keywords: Abdominal trauma; Burns; Head injury; Injury; Proteasomes