To Örebro University

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability. An early and accurate assessment of the affected patient suffering from TBI is important to promptly decide upon treatment strategies. Serum levels of the protein S100B are elevated in patients suffering from TBI, and has been proposed as a good addition to other clinical variables when calculating outcome. Different temporal patterns of the serum levels of S100B have been shown. The aim of this study was to analyze the different patterns, with a focus on outcome and other factors related to co-morbidity in patients suffering from TBI.

Methods: In all, 265 patients suffering from TBI admitted to the neuro-intensive care unit, having three consecutive serum samples of S100B within the first 72 h after trauma were included.

Results: S100B AUC, S100 peak serum level, and increasing serum levels of S100B significantly presence of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, early cerebral ischemia and signs of increasing intracranial hematomas are statistically significant (p<0.05) to high and increasing levels of S100B. Using a multi-nomial logit regression analysis, increased age (p<0.01), early cerebral ischemia (p<0.05), and increased S100B AUC statistically significantly affected mortality (p<0.01).

Conclusion: The temporal profile of S100B is unique for every patient after TBI, and statistically correlates with S100B AUC, one of the factors that correlates strongly with mortality and morbidity, and thereby may promptly provide the physician with an important tool in clinical decision-making.