Aldolase C Profiling in Serum after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosis often relies on clinical assessment and imaging.
• Neurological biomarkers in serum offer potential for improved diagnostic and prognostic information post-TBI.
• Early detection of brain damage in mild TBI (mTBI) is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of aldolase C (ALDOC) serum levels for the early diagnosis of brain damage in patients with mTBI.
• To establish the diagnostic accuracy of ALDOC as a biomarker for mTBI.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving 89 mTBI patients presenting to the Emergency Department.
• Serum ALDOC levels were measured within three hours of head trauma.
• Brain CT scan served as the gold standard for TBI diagnosis; statistical analyses included ROC curve analysis.

Main Results:

• Patients with positive CT scan findings for TBI had significantly higher median ALDOC serum levels (8.35 ng/mL) compared to those with negative findings (5.3 ng/mL).
• An optimal ALDOC cutoff level of 6.95 ng/mL demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (Area Under Curve: 99.6%).
• The determined cutoff achieved 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity for detecting brain structural abnormalities.

Conclusions:

• Serum ALDOC levels significantly correlate with CT scan findings in mTBI patients.
• ALDOC is a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for detecting structural brain abnormalities in mild TBI.
• This biomarker shows promise as a valuable tool for early diagnosis in emergency settings.