Preliminary findings on biomarker levels from extracerebral sources in patients undergoing trauma surgery: Potential implications for TBI outcome studies

Abstract

Background: Despite several experimental studies on the role of S100B and NSE in fractures, no studies on the influence of surgery on the biomarker serum levels have been performed yet.

Methods: The serum levels of S100B and NSE were analysed in patients with fractures that were located in the spine (group 1, n = 35) or in the lower extremity (group 2, n = 32) pre- and post-operatively.

Results: The mean S100B serum level showed a significant increase (p = 0.04) post-surgery in the patients of group 1. In patients undergoing acute surgery (< 24 hours) the mean S100B serum level was 0.23 ± 0.22 μg L^–1 pre-operatively and 1.24 ± 1.38 μg L^–1 post-operatively. Likewise, the mean S100B serum level significantly increased in group 2 after surgery (p < 0.0001). In this group patients undergoing acute surgery showed a mean S100B serum level of 0.23 ± 0.14 μg L^–1 and 1.11 ± 0.73 μg L^–1 pre- and post-operatively.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates significant alterations of the biomarker S100B serum levels in patients undergoing surgery. Higher S100B serum levels were found within 24 hours and might be related to the acute fracture. The NSE serum levels were unchanged and this biomarker may offer the probability to serve as a future outcome predictor in studies with patients with traumatic brain injury and additional extracerebral injuries.

Keywords:

• Clinical trials
• head injury
• outcome
• surgery
• traumatic brain injury
• trauma

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the staff of the Department for Trauma Surgery at the Vienna General Hospital for providing the help for securing day and nighttime coverage in obtaining the serum of the study patients.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.