Serum S100-Beta as a Biomarker for Neurological Recovery in Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI): A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Neurology
• Clinical Biomarkers

Background:

• Acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) presents significant neurological deficits with a lack of reliable prognostic biomarkers.
• S100-beta (S100B), a calcium-binding protein, is being investigated for its potential role in assessing ASCI severity and recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum S100B levels as a potential biomarker for acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) severity.
• To evaluate the correlation between S100B levels and neurological recovery following ASCI.

Main Methods:

• A prospective case-control study involving 26 ASCI patients and 26 healthy controls.
• Serum S100B levels measured via ELISA at baseline, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks post-injury.
• Neurological recovery assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale.

Main Results:

• ASCI patients exhibited significantly higher baseline and 2-week serum S100B levels compared to controls (p < 0.05).
• S100B levels normalized by 6 weeks post-injury (p > 0.05).
• Elevated S100B levels correlated with increased injury severity (paraplegia vs. paraparesis) and poorer neurological outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Serum S100B shows promise as an early biomarker for assessing acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) severity and predicting neurological recovery.
• Further large-scale studies are necessary to confirm the clinical utility of S100B in ASCI management.