Increased serum S100 beta protein concentrations following severe head injury in humans: a biochemical marker of brain death?

This study investigated S100 beta protein as a biochemical serum marker of brain damage in severe head injury and brain death victims. Blood samples o btained from 15 patients with severe head injury admitted to the trauma int ensive care unit (ICU), five patients with a diagnosis of brain death due t o hemorrhage following cerebral aneurysm rupture, and five healthy individu als were investigated. The S100 beta protein serum concentrations were anal yzed with a immunoradiometric assay kit. The 15 patients with severe head i njury were followed up for 6 months. Outcome was considered either death or recovery with ICU discharge. S100 beta concentrations were closely related to brain damage. Among the severe head injury victims, higher S100 beta co ncentrations were detected in those patients that progressed to death. The individuals with brain death had similar mean S100 beta concentrations, irr espective of its cause (either trauma or vascular rupture). S100 beta prote in is a promising serum outcome predictor for severe head injury victims an d may contribute to the early diagnosis of brain death. NeuroReport 12:691- 694 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.