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Role and Importance of IGF-1 in Traumatic Brain Injuries
Annunziato Mangiola1, Vera Vigo1, Carmelo Anile1
1Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
It is increasingly affirmed that most of the long-term consequences of TBI are due to molecular and cellular changes occurring during the acute phase of the injury and which may, afterwards, persist or progress. Understanding how to prevent secondary damage and improve outcome in trauma patients, has been always a target of scientific interest. Plans of studies focused their attention on the posttraumatic neuroendocrine dysfunction in order to achieve a correlation between hormone blood level and TBI outcomes. The somatotropic axis (GH and IGF-1) seems to be the most affected, with different alterations between the acute and late phases. IGF-1 plays an important role in brain growth and development, and it is related to repair responses to damage for both the central and peripheral nervous system. The IGF-1 blood levels result prone to decrease during both the early and late phases after TBI. Despite this, experimental studies on animals have shown that the CNS responds to the injury upregulating the expression of IGF-1; thus it appears to be related to the secondary mechanisms of response to posttraumatic damage. We review the mechanisms involving IGF-1 in TBI, analyzing how its expression and metabolism may affect prognosis and outcome in head trauma patients.
Insights
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause long-term issues due to acute molecular changes. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) levels decrease after TBI, impacting brain repair and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Trauma Research
Background:
- Long-term consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often stem from acute-phase molecular and cellular alterations.
- Preventing secondary damage and improving outcomes in trauma patients is a key research objective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate posttraumatic neuroendocrine dysfunction, specifically the somatotropic axis (Growth Hormone and IGF-1).
- To establish a correlation between hormone levels and TBI outcomes.
- To review the role of IGF-1 in TBI, its expression, metabolism, and impact on prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on neuroendocrine dysfunction following TBI.
- Analysis of studies focusing on the somatotropic axis (GH and IGF-1).
- Examination of experimental animal studies on CNS response to TBI and IGF-1 upregulation.
Main Results:
- The somatotropic axis, particularly IGF-1, is significantly affected after TBI, with altered levels in acute and late phases.
- IGF-1 plays a crucial role in neural repair and development.
- IGF-1 blood levels tend to decrease post-TBI, yet central nervous system expression may increase in response to injury.
Conclusions:
- IGF-1 is implicated in the secondary response mechanisms to posttraumatic damage.
- Understanding IGF-1's expression and metabolism is vital for predicting prognosis and improving outcomes in head trauma patients.
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