Publication
Title
Plasma anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein autoantibody levels during the acute and chronic phases of traumatic brain injury : a transforming research and clinical knowledge in traumatic brain injury pilot study
Author
Institution/Organisation
TRACK-TBI Investigators
Abstract
We described recently a subacute serum autoantibody response toward glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and its breakdown products 5-10 days after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, we expanded our anti-GFAP autoantibody (AutoAb[GFAP]) investigation to the multicenter observational study Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI Pilot (TRACK-TBI Pilot) to cover the full spectrum of TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale 3-15) by using acute (<24 h) plasma samples from 196 patients with acute TBI admitted to three Level I trauma centers, and a second cohort of 21 participants with chronic TBI admitted to inpatient TBI rehabilitation. We find that acute patients self-reporting previous TBI with loss of consciousness (LOC) (n = 43) had higher day 1 AutoAb [GFAP] (mean +/- standard error: 9.11 +/- 1.42; n = 43) than healthy controls (2.90 +/- 0.92; n = 16;p = 0.032) and acute patients reporting no previous TBI (2.97 +/- 0.37; n = 106; p < 0.001), but not acute patients reporting previous TBI without LOC (8.01 +/- 1.80; n = 47; p = 0.906). These data suggest that while exposure to TBI may trigger the AutoAb[GFAP] response, circulating antibodies are elevated specifically in acute TBI patients with a history of TBI. AutoAb[GFAP] levels for participants with chronic TBI (average post-TBI time 176 days or 6.21 months) were also significantly higher (15.08 +/- 2.82; n = 21) than healthy controls (p < 0.001). These data suggest a persistent upregulation of the autoimmune response to specific brain antigen(s) in the subacute to chronic phase after TBI, as well as after repeated TBI insults. Hence, AutoAb [GFAP] may be a sensitive assay to study the dynamic interactions between post injury brain and patient-specific autoimmune responses across acute and chronic settings after TBI.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of neurotrauma. - New York
Publication
New York : 2016
ISSN
1557-9042 [online]
0897-7151 [print]
DOI
10.1089/NEU.2015.3881
Volume/pages
33 :13 (2016) , p. 1270-1277
ISI
000378336200393
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 16.08.2017
Last edited 09.10.2023
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