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Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
S100B protein, cerebral ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging patterns in brain injured preterm infants
Giorgia Gasparroni1, Alessandro Graziosi1, Iliana Bersani2
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
Insights
Early detection of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in preterm infants is crucial. S100B protein in urine shows promise as an early diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for IVH and related neurological issues.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Biomarker discovery
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Early detection of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and subsequent neurological sequelae in preterm infants (PI) remains a significant clinical challenge.
- Current standard monitoring methods may not provide timely information for at-risk infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the utility of S100B protein in early diagnosis and prognosis of IVH in PI.
- To assess the correlation of S100B levels with cerebral ultrasound (CUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.
Main Methods:
- An observational case-control study involving 216 PI (36 with IVH, 180 controls).
- S100B urine measurements at four time-points post-birth (first void, 24, 48, 96 hours).
- Standard clinical, laboratory, and radiological monitoring; MRI at 40-42 weeks corrected gestational age.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated S100B levels in the IVH group across all time-points, particularly at first void (p<0.001).
- First void S100B levels strongly correlated with IVH grade (CUS) and neurological lesion site/extent (MRI) (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- S100B protein shows potential as an early biomarker for IVH and adverse neurological outcomes in preterm infants.
- Findings support the integration of S100B measurement into the clinical management of high-risk infants.
- Further research is warranted to validate S100B as a neurobiomarker.
Objectives:
The early detection of preterm infants (PI) at risk for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and neurological sequelae still constitutes an unsolved issue. We aimed at validating the role of S100B protein in the early diagnosis and prognosis of IVH in PI by means of cerebral ultrasound (CUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) today considered standard of care procedures.
Methods:
We conducted an observational case-control study in 216 PI of whom 36 with IVH and 180 controls. Standard clinical, laboratory, radiological monitoring procedures and S100B urine measurement were performed at four time-points (first void, 24, 48, 96 h) after birth. Cerebral MRI was performed at 40-42 weeks of corrected gestational age.
Results:
Elevated (p<0.001, for all) S100B levels were observed in the IVH group at all monitoring time-point particularly at first void when standard monitoring procedures were still silent or unavailable. S100B measured at first void correlated (p<0.001) with the grade of hemorrhage by means of CUS and with the site and extension of neurological lesion (p<0.001, for all) as assessed by MRI.
Conclusions:
The present results showing a correlation among S100B and CUS and MRI offer additional support to the inclusion of the protein in clinical daily management of cases at risk for IVH and adverse neurological outcome. The findings open the way to further investigations in PI aimed at validating new neurobiomarkers by means of S100B.
