Potential Role of Serum Cytokines and Chemokines as Biomarkers of Injury Severity and Functional Outcomes Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and neurological disability worldwide. The search for biomarkers that indicate TBI severity and prognosis with greater accuracy is ongoing. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of several neuroinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, assessing their potential as biomarkers in pediatric TBI (pTBI). This was an exploratory analysis of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines measured in a subset of 26 children aged 0–18 years with TBI and 21 controls. TBI severity was determined by GCS. The functional outcome was measured via the GOS-E score at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-injury. Serum samples were analyzed for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, SAA, CRP, IFN-g, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-a, TNF-b, eotaxin, eotaxin-3, IP-10, MCP-1, MCP-4, MDC, MIP-1a, MIP-1b and TARC. Levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-16, MDC, and GM-CSF were increased, and IFN-γ, IL-5, IL-8, and eotaxin-3 were decreased at enrollment when compared with controls. Elevated IL-6 and IL-10 at enrollment were associated with severe TBI (AUC of 1, p = 0.0002 and p = <0.0001, respectively). IL-6, IL-10, IL-16, and TNF-β at enrollment and IL-5 at 24 h were elevated in children with unfavorable outcomes, with an AUC > 0.8, suggesting biomarker potential. Our data indicate that several cytokines and chemokines measured after TBI may aid in the assessment of pTBI severity and prognosis. IL-6, IL-10, and IL-16 may show potential as biomarkers for pTBI severity and outcomes.
Source: Cells
Authors: Kathryn Swaby, Alexander J. Skirvin, Natalie Machado, Maria Mateo Chavez, Julia Alexis Bernal, Ana Fuentes, Charlene P. Pringle, Kourtney Guthrie, Jennifer Coto, Rajderkar Dhanashree, Joslyn Gober, Paula Karina Perez, Juan P. Solano, Heather J. McCrea, Ricardo Loor-Torres, Joyce Kaufman, Ayham Alkhachroum, Kristine H. O’Phelan, Firas Kobeissy, Robert W. Keane, Kevin K. Wang, W. Dalton Dietrich, Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, Jennifer C. Munoz Pareja
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,258
OpenAlex ID: W7116706491