Citation

Wiskott K, Gilardi F, Hainard A, Sanchez JC, Thomas A, Sajic T, Fracasso T. Proteomics 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/pmic.202200078

PMID

36576318

Abstract

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in infants. While the reported incidence is close to 40 cases per 100'000 births/year, misdiagnoses are commonly observed in cases with atypical, subacute or chronic presentation. Currently, standard clinical evaluation of inflicted intracranial hemorrhagic injury (ICH) in infants urgently requires a screening test able to identify infants who need additional investigations. Blood biomarkers characteristic of AHT may assist in detecting these infants, improving prognosis through early medical care. To date, the application of innovative omics technologies in retrospective studies of AHT in infants is rare, due also to the blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid of AHT cases being scarce and not systematically accessible. Here, we explored the circulating blood proteomes of infants with severe AHT and their atraumatic controls. We discovered 165 circulating serum proteins that display differential changes in AHT cases compared with atraumatic controls. The peripheral blood proteomes of pediatric AHT commonly reflect: i) potentially secreted proteome from injured brain, and ii) proteome dysregulated in the system's circulation by successive biological events following acute ICH. This study opens up a novel opportunity for research efforts in clinical screening of AHT cases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

paediatric Abusive Head Trauma; postmortem blood; serum proteomics