Correlation between serum levels of neuron specific enolase and inflammatory factors and recovery of neurological function in patients with severe traumatic brain injury / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective:To correlate serum levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE) and inflammatory factors with recovery of neurological function in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.Methods:Ninety-six patients with severe traumatic brain injury who received treatment from January 2018 to January 2020 in Taizhou Hospital were included in this study. These patients were divided into a mild-to-moderate group ( n = 51) and a severe group ( n = 45). Additional 60 healthy controls who concurrently received health examination were included in the healthy control group. Serum NSE level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level by immunoturbidimetry, serum procalcitonin (PCT) level by chemiluminescent assay, and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients were followed up for 3 months. Recovery of neurological function was evaluated by modified Rankin Scale. Results:Serum NSE level was (50.42 ± 13.25) μg/L and (36.79 ± 10.28) μg/L in the severe and mild-to-moderate groups, respectively, which was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group [(6.13 ± 1.78) μg/L, t = 25.641, 22.688, both P < 0.05). Serum NSE level in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the mild-to- moderate group ( t = 5.576, P < 0.05). Serum CRP, PCT, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were (78.95 ± 15.46) mg/L, (3.46 ± 0.75) μg/L, (432.15 ± 78.29) μg/L and (36.57 ± 8.98) μg/L] respectively in the severe group, (34.65 ± 7.48) mg/L, (1.68 ± 0.51) μg/L, (285.41 ± 36.75) μg/L and (17.54 ± 5.26) μg/L] respectively in the mild-to-moderate group and (3.25 ± 0.86) mg/L, (0.08 ± 0.02) μg/L, (73.52 ± 13.89) μg/L and (1.64 ± 0.50) μg/L, respectively in the healthy control group. Serum CRP, PCT, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the severe and mild-to-moderate groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group ( t = 37.890, 34.922, 34.870, 30.099, 32.284, 24.315, 40.980, 23.312, all P < 0.05). Serum levels of these indicators in the severe group were significantly higher than those in the mild-to-moderate group ( t = 17.493, 13.414, 11.500, 12.451, all P < 0.05). In the severe group, neurological function recovered well in 34 patients and poorly in 17 patients. Serum NSE level in patients with poor neurological function recovery was significantly higher than that in patients with good recovery [(68.93 ± 14.25) μg/L vs. (34.61 ± 12.36) μg/L, t = 8.457, P < 0.05). Serum CRP [(113.24 ± 27.39) mg/L], PCT [(4.57 ± 0.87) μg/L], IL-6 [(598.90 ± 43.52) μg/L] and TNF-α [(58.78 ± 12.13) μg/L] levels in patients with poor recovery were significantly higher than those in patients with good recovery [(32.19 ± 6.90) mg/L, (2.23 ± 0.65) μg/L, (261.39 ± 26.56) μg/L and (14.53 ± 4.26) μg/L, t = 11.956, 9.788, 29.280 and 14.537, all P < 0.05). Serum NSE, CRP, PCT, IL-6 and TNF-α were positively correlated with poor prognosis ( r = 0.849, 0.743, 0.795, 0.683, 0.701, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:In patients with severe traumatic brain injury, serum NSE, CRP, PCT, IL-6 and TNF-α levels increase, which are positively correlated with poor prognosis.