Detectable Levels of Cytochrome c and Activated Caspase-9 in Cerebrospinal Fluid after Human Traumatic Brain Injury

Background The intrinsic pathway of apoptosis has been proposed as one mechanism of cell death after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study tested the hypothesis that cytochrome c and activated caspase-9 are released into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after severe TBI and that their presence correlates with mitochondrial injury and severity of neurologic outcome.