Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026
Detection of Polyfunctional T Cells in Children Vaccinated with Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine via the Flow Cytometry Technique
Published on: September 23, 2022
Plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Is a Predictor of Persisting Symptoms Post-Concussion in Children
Georgia M Parkin1, Cathriona Clarke1, Michael Takagi1,2
11 Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
This study found tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) may be a blood biomarker for prolonged concussion symptoms in children. Further research is needed to confirm its role in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury recovery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Neuroscience
- Biomarker discovery
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children is understudied, with limited understanding of blood protein changes and recovery patterns.
- Pediatric mTBI, including concussions, can lead to prolonged post-concussive symptoms, affecting up to 30% of children for over a month.
- Existing blood tests for mTBI are primarily validated for adults, highlighting a need for pediatric-specific biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate blood protein expression changes in children following concussion.
- To identify potential blood biomarkers differentiating normal recovery from persisting symptoms after pediatric concussion.
- To compare proteomic profiles between children with normal recovery and those with prolonged post-concussive symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A multiplex immunoassay was used to measure 10 blood proteins in children post-concussion.
- Protein levels were assessed at admission, 1-4 days, 2 weeks, and 3 months post-injury.
- Patients were categorized into groups with normal recovery (n=9) and persisting symptoms (n=9) for comparison.
Main Results:
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tau protein expression showed significant changes over time, irrespective of clinical outcome.
- Interleukin-8 (IL-8) protein expression varied over time, specifically in children with persisting symptoms.
- Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) protein expression was significantly elevated at 1-4 days post-injury in children with persisting symptoms compared to those with normal recovery.
Conclusions:
- IL-6, tau, and IL-8 show dynamic changes in expression following pediatric concussion.
- TNFα elevation in the early post-injury phase may serve as a novel blood biomarker for predicting persistent symptoms after pediatric concussion.
- This study is the first to identify TNFα as a potential biomarker for prolonged recovery in pediatric concussion.
Abstract:
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)-associated blood proteomics have become an emerging focus in the past decade, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approving the use of a blood test to determine the necessity of a computed tomography scan after adult mTBI. We now also know that the blood proteome of children is different from that of adults, and new evidence suggests that children may take longer to recover from an mTBI. Despite this, comparatively fewer studies have analyzed changes in blood protein expression after pediatric mTBI. Concussions, an mTBI subset, often go underreported, despite the potential for post-concussive symptoms to last more than one month in up to 30% of children. In the current study, we used a multiplex immunoassay to measure blood protein expression of Apolipoprotein, enolase 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, S100 calcium-binding protein B, tau and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) at admission, one to four days, two weeks, and three months post-pediatric concussion, comparing patients with normal recovery (n = 9) with those with persisting symptoms (n = 9). We identified significant differences in IL-6 (p < 0.001) and tau (p = 0.048) protein expression across time post-injury irrespective of clinical outcome and in IL-8 protein expression (p = 0.041) across time post-injury specific to children with persisting symptoms. Significantly, we have identified an increase in TNFα protein expression at one to four days post-injury (p = 0.031) in children with persisting symptoms compared with normal recovery. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify TNFα as a potential blood biomarker for persisting symptoms post-pediatric concussion.
More Related Videos
05:48Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology
Published on: September 21, 2018
07:02An Investigation of the Effects of Sports-related Concussion in Youth Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Head Impact Telemetry System
Published on: January 12, 2011
Related Concept Videos
01:16Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become...
01:31Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Drug's Physicochemical Properties and Plasma Levels
One important factor is the drug's molecular size. The kidneys readily excrete smaller molecules below 300 Daltons (Da). On the other hand, molecules weighing between 300 and 500 Da are excreted through both urine and bile. Larger molecules above 500 Da tend to be excreted...
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
01:24Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
01:28Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management
A pleural effusion is the abnormal collection of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura layers of tissue that form the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can occur independently or due to surrounding parenchymal diseases, such as infection, malignancy, or inflammatory conditions.
Clinical Manifestations: