Dynamic change in serum level of tau protein and its clinical meanings in patients with acute traumatic brain injury

YANG Wen-jin; GUO Yi-jun; TONG Wu-song; ZHENG Ping; WANG Rui-zhong; JIAO Rong-hong; HE Bin; CHEN Lei

doi:10.13798/j.issn.1009-153X.2017.08.004

Abstract：Objective To investigate the dynamic change in the serum level of tau protein early after acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its clinical meanings. Methods Of 229 patients with acute TBI, 175 had mild TBI, 23 medium and 31 severe according to GCS. The serum levels of tau protein were determined in 30 healthy subjects and all the patients 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after TBI. The relationships of the serum levels of tau protein with the initial GCS and GOS 6 months after the injury were analyzed. Results The serum levels of tau protein were significantly higher in the patients with mild, medium and severe TBI 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after TBI than that of the healthy subjects (P<0.05). The serum levels of tau protein 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after TBI were significantly lower respectively in the patients with mild TBI than those in the patients with medium and severe TBI (P<0.05). The serum levels of tau protein were significantly lower in the patients with mild TBI respectively than those in the patients with severe TBI 1, 3 and 5 days after TBI (P<0.05). The serum levels of tau protein were significantly lower in the patients with good prognoses respectively than those in the patients with poor prognoses 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after TBI (P<0.05). The serum levels of tau protein 1, 3 and 5 days after TBI were negatively related with the GCS and the serum levels of tau protein 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after TBI were negatively related with GOS (P<0.05). Conclusions It is suggested that the dynamic change in the serum levels of tau protein in patients with acute TBI may be used as a reliable biological index of TBI severity and prognosis because their dynamic change was negatively related to the TBI severity and the patients' prognoses.