Dynamic Changes of Cerebrospinal Fluid Endostatin Concentrations in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Patients with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less) requiring continuous lumbar drainage of CSF were included in the study. Patients delivered within 4 h whose highest abbreviated injury score was 3 or less (other than head injury) were considered to be isolated TBI cases and were included. To avoid interfering factors, patients who suffered open or combined injuries, had existing prior neurological disease were excluded. Those who died within the first week of hospitalization and/or whose serial cerebrospinal fluid samples could not be obtained were also excluded as having incomplete data. Accordingly, 30 patients were analyzed in this study. Demographic data, including age, gender, mechanism of trauma and GCS score at admission were documented when the patients arrived at the emergency room. The control group comprised 20 patients whose cerebrospinal fluid was examined via lumbar puncture for investigation of suspected neurological disease. All patients had normal neurological examination, negative imaging studies, and none had evidence of trauma or preexisting neurological disease, including tumors, vascular anomalies, or abnormalities of cerebrospinal fluid. The study had approval from the hospital ethics committee and informed consent for participating in the study was obtained from an appropriate member of each patient's family before performance of lumbar drainage.