Lysophospholipids Are Associated With Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) constitutes the majority of traumatic brain injuries.
• Lipid metabolites are crucial for cell membrane integrity and signaling, which can be compromised by TBI.
• Understanding circulating lipid alterations post-mTBI is vital for assessing clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify circulating phospholipid alterations following mTBI.
• To determine the association between these lipid changes and clinical outcomes.
• To explore the potential of specific phospholipids as therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

• Lipid metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from 84 mTBI patients and 35 healthy controls.
• Multivariable regression models to assess associations between lipid metabolites and Glasgow Outcomes Scale-Extended (GOSE) at discharge and 6 months.
• Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the predictive value of LPLs for functional outcomes.

Main Results:

• Higher circulating levels of lysophospholipids (LPLs) 1-linoleoyl-GPC (18:2), 1-linoleoyl-GPE (18:2), and 1-linolenoyl-GPC (18:3) were significantly associated with better discharge and 6-month functional outcomes (GOSE).
• These LPL levels were decreased early after mTBI and normalized by 3 months post-injury.
• Inclusion of these LPLs significantly improved the predictive accuracy (AUC) of logistic regression models for both discharge and 6-month outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Elevated plasma levels of specific LPLs post-mTBI are linked to improved functional recovery.
• These phospholipids demonstrate potential as biomarkers for predicting mTBI outcomes.
• The identified LPLs represent a promising class of molecules for future therapeutic interventions in mTBI.