Serum Concentrations of Neuron-Specific Enolase in Dogs Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Neurology
• Biomarker Research
• Canine Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Background:

• Accurate prognosis for dogs with TBI is challenging, hindering effective treatment decisions.
• Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a potential biomarker for neurological injury, but its prognostic value in canine TBI is unestablished.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prognostic value of serum NSE concentrations in dogs following TBI.
• To determine if NSE levels correlate with outcome, neurological impairment severity, and time since injury.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, observational, controlled clinical study involving 24 dogs with TBI and 25 healthy controls.
• Serum NSE concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) within 72 hours of TBI.
• Statistical analyses assessed associations between NSE levels and outcome, Modified Glasgow Coma Scale, time to sampling, age, and hemolysis.

Main Results:

• Mean serum NSE concentrations were lower in dogs with TBI compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001).
• No significant association was found between serum NSE concentrations and survival or neurological impairment severity.
• A negative correlation was observed between serum NSE levels and the time from trauma to blood collection (r = -0.50, P = 0.022).

Conclusions:

• Serum NSE concentration is not an effective prognostic marker for severity or outcome in dogs with TBI.
• Further studies are required to standardize NSE measurements and determine its pharmacokinetic profile (peak and half-life) in canine TBI.