Citation

Zhou S, Yin DP, Wang Y, Tian Y, Wang ZG, Zhang JN. Neural Regen. Res. 2018; 13(12): 2134-2140.

Affiliation

Tianjin Neurological Institute; Key Laboratory of Post-Trauma Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System; Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Neural Regeneration Research, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, P.R. China, Publisher Wolters Kluwer)

DOI

10.4103/1673-5374.241462

PMID

30323142

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in poor functional outcomes and death, and overall outcomes are varied. Growth factors, such as angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), play important roles in the neurological functions. This study investigated the relationship between serum growth factor levels and long-term outcomes after TBI. Blood samples from 55 patients were collected at 1, 3 and 7 days after TBI. Blood samples from 39 healthy controls were collected as a control group. Serum Ang-1, G-CSF, and VEGF levels were measured using ELISA. Patients were monitored for 3 months using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE). Patients having a GOSE score of > 5 at 3 months were categorized as a good outcome, and patients with a GOSE score of 1-5 were categorized as a bad outcome. Our data demonstrated that TBI patients showed significantly increased growth factor levels within 7 days compared with healthy controls. Serum levels of Ang-1 at 1 and 7 days and G-CSF levels at 7 days were significantly higher in patients with good outcomes than in patients with poor outcomes. VEGF levels at 7 days were remarkably higher in patients with poor outcomes than in patients with good outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the best cut-off points of serum growth factor levels at 7 days to predict functional outcome were 1,333 pg/mL for VEGF, 447.2 pg/mL for G-CSF, and 90.6 ng/mL for Ang-1. These data suggest that patients with elevated levels of serum Ang-1, G-CSF, and decreased VEGF levels had a better prognosis in the acute phase of TBI (within 7 days). This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR1800018251) on September 7, 2018.

Language: en

Keywords

acute phase; angiopoietin-1; blood-brain barrier; brain edema; clinical trial; granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; outcomes; secondary brain injuries; traumatic brain injury; vascular endothelial growth factor