Association between Serum Malondialdehyde Levels and Mortality in Patients with Severe Brain Trauma Injury

Abstract There is a hyperoxidative state in patients with trauma brain injury (TBI). Malondialdehyde (MDA) is an end-product formed during oxidative stress, concretely lipid peroxidation. In small studies (highest sample size 50 patients), higher levels of MDA have been found in nonsurviving than surviving patients with TBI. An association between serum MDA levels and mortality in patients with TBI, however, has not been reported. Thus, the objective of this prospective, observational, multicenter study, performed in six Spanish intensive care units, was to determine whether MDA serum levels are associated with early mortality in a large series of patients with severe TBI. Serum MDA levels were measured in 100 patients with severe TBI on day 1 and in 75 healthy controls. The end-point of the study was 30-day mortality. We found higher serum MDA levels in patients with severe TBI than in healthy controls (p<0.001). Nonsurviving patients with TBI (n=27) showed higher serum MDA levels (p<0.001) than survivor...