Genetic and biochemical profile of patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a prospective longitudinal observational tertiary care hospital-based study

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common causes of admission to the emergency department of a hospital. Numerous blood and body-fluid based biomarkers have been identified to have a cost-effective and convenient potential of brain injury evaluation. The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of plasma resistin and its RETN gene polymorphism in TBI, and to correlate resistin and other biomarkers (NSE, MDA, SOD, GSH) with injury severity and in-hospital mortality. METHODS: The eligible study participants (N.=140) having GCS between 15 to 3 were enrolled with TBI within 6 h hours after injury were dynamically monitored. Blood samples were extracted at different time interval (1st day of admission to 7th day). Plasma resistin, neuron specific enolase (NSE), malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and GSH were measured at different time intervals using ELISA method. Later DNA was isolated using commercial kit and Rs7139228 RETN gene polymorphism was evaluated. Control healthy participants escorted the TBI patients were served as controls. RESULTS: . These markers tend to increase gradually from 0 h to 74 h of the hospital admission, the showed steep decrease pattern. GCS-based assessment score in TBI patients correlates with the plasma resistin (rs=0.081; P=0.339), neuron specific enolase (rs=0.028; P=0.737), malonaldehyde (rs=0.011; P=0.893), SOD (rs=0.167; P=0.047), GSH (rs=0.066; P=0.436). The RETN gene polymorphism showed no significant association with the TBI. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that blood biomarkers including antioxidants can be used for assessment of the outcome in patients with TBI.