WIP 20 - Utility of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase L1 Biomarker Levels in Detecting Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injuries

Publication Number: WIP 20.7610

Makenzie Baker, University of South Florida, Wooton, KY, United States; Jason Wilson, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States; Emily Holbrook, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States; Rahul S. Mhaskar, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States; Emily Coughlin, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States

Background: The current standard of care for pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) involves clinical criteria and judgement to determine whether a head CT is warranted. Although research has shown that glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin c-terminal hydrolase L1(UCH-L1) can be useful in diagnosing TBIs, limited work has reviewed their efficacy in pediatric populations. Additionally, there is limited research regarding the impact of additional variables, such as past medical history, mechanism of injury, and time elapsed between injury and biomarker draw.

Objective: This study aims to determine whether GFAP and UCH-L1 are correlated with presence and severity of TBIs in pediatric populations and how this correlation is impacted by additional variables such as pre-existing conditions and time elapsed between injury and biomarker assessment. As a result, this study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of these biomarkers as well as establish how they can be used most appropriately in clinical settings.

Design/Methods: All patients under the age of 18 who presented to [hospital name redacted] between March 2022 and July 2024 with a diagnosed or suspected traumatic brain injury (TBI) and who had TBI biomarker testing ordered were enrolled in data analysis. Data was collected retrospectively via electronic medical record review and included biomarker and head CT results, time of injury and lab draw, mechanism of injury, demographics, and pre-existing conditions. To date, descriptive statistics have been conducted to determine sensitivity and specificity of GFAP and UCH-L1 as well as demographic breakdowns. Full statistical analysis, including correlation coefficients and regression analyses, is currently being conducted and anticipated to conclude in January to assess the role of other variables in the correlation between biomarkers and CT findings, informing the future clinical application of GFAP and UCH-L1. This study was deemed exempt by [redacted university name] IRB - Study007751