Glial fibrillary acidic protein elevations relate to neuroimaging abnormalities after mild TBI

Objectives To determine whether a panel of blood-based biomarkers can discriminate between patients with suspected mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with and without neuroimaging findings (CT and MRI). Methods Study participants presented to the emergency department with suspected mTBI (n = 277) with a CT and MRI scan and healthy controls (n = 49). Plasma concentrations of tau, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, and neurofilament light chain (NFL) were measured using the single-molecule array technology. Results Concentrations of GFAP, tau, and NFL were higher in patients with mTBI, compared with those of controls ( p 9s Conclusion Our study confirms GFAP as a promising marker of brain injury in patients with acute mTBI. A combination of various biomarkers linked to different pathophysiologic mechanisms increases diagnostic subgroup accuracy. This multimarker strategy may guide medical decision making, facilitate the use of MRI scanning, and prove valuable in the stratification of patients with brain injuries in future clinical trials. Classification of evidence Class I evidence that blood concentrations of GFAP, tau, and NFL discriminate patients with mTBI with and without neuroimaging findings.