VITAMIN-ANTIOXIDANT HOMEOSTASIS DATA IN PATIENTS WITH LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES AFTER MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Abstract

Introduction. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was reported to be the most frequent among other types of brain injuries and is the main reason for the disability in mid-life and middleaged people. It’s known that antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress, so, to prevent secondary brain injury modulating maintaining of long-term consequences after mTBI. Purpose of the study. This work was to study the serum vitamin E, C and A levels in the patients with long-term consequences after mTBI to explore their potential pathogenetic influence. Materials and methods. Sixty-seven patients with long-term consequences after mTBI were investigated with the mean age of 43,61 ± 8,24 years (18 women, 26,86% and 49 men, 73,14%) where the vitamin E, C and A contents were measured in sera by spectrophotometer method using standard protocols and reagents (Sigma, USA). Results. In this work, it was found descending serum levels of all investigated vitaminantioxidants in almost all patients with longterm consequences after mTBI where the content of vitamins A (M ± s: 1,63 ± 1,56 mkM/l) and E (25,41 ± 0,93 mkM/l) had a tendency to decreasing without significant differences compare to controls. It was found the statistically significant decreased of vitamin C levels in the serum samples of our investigated patients when compared to controls (p < 0,05, t = 4,59, 95% CI 98,81 to 55,68) where in the main patient group, the medians of total vitamin C level was 30,57 ± 5,38 mkM/l vs 36,91 ± 5,22 mkM/l in controls. It was shown that the patients with long-term consequences after mild contusion in anamnesis (64,18%) had the prominent changes in the vitamin C content. Conclusion. The maintaining of long-term consequences of mTBI was accompanied by the vitamin-antioxidant dyshomeostasis such as decreasing of vitamin C serum level associated with a tendency to decreasing of vitamins A and E levels that may play the certain role in the pathogenesis. All these data are needed to be accounted into the consideration during the treatment of this patient category.

Keywords

• long-term consequences of mild traumatic brain injury
• vitamin-antioxidant homeostasis