Abstract
Objective
To determine if, in children, plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is associated with brain injury during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and with mortality.
Design
Prospective, observational study.
Setting
Pediatric intensive care unit in an urban tertiary care academic center.
Patients
Neonatal and pediatric ECMO patients (n=22).
Interventions
Serial blood sampling for GFAP measurements.
Measurements and Main Results
Prospective patients age 1 day-18 years who required ECMO from April 2008 to August 2009 were studied. GFAP was measured using an electrochemiluminescent immunoassay developed at Johns Hopkins. Control samples were collected from 99 healthy children (0.5-16 years) and 59 NICU infants without neurologic injury. In controls, the median GFAP concentration was 0.055 ng/mL (IQR: 0-0.092 ng/mL) and the 95th percentile of GFAP was 0.436ng/mL. In ECMO patients, plasma GFAP was measured at 6, 12 and every 24 hours after cannulation. We enrolled 22 children who underwent ECMO. Median age was 7 days (IQR, 2 days-9 years), and primary ECMO indication was: cardiac failure, 6/22 (27.3%), respiratory failure, 12/22 (54.5%), ECPR, 3/22 (13.6%), and sepsis, 1/22 (4.6%). Seven of 22 (32%) patients developed acute neurologic injury (intracranial hemorrhage, brain death or cerebral edema diagnosed by imaging). Fifteen of 22 (68%) survived to hospital discharge. In the ECMO group, peak GFAP levels were higher in children with brain injury than those without (median, 5.9 vs 0.09ng/mL, p=0.04) and in non-survivors compared to survivors to discharge (median, 5.9 vs 0.09ng/mL, p=0.04). The odds ratio (OR) for brain injury for GFAP >0.436ng/mL vs normal was 11.5 (95%CI: 1.3-98.3) and the OR for mortality was 13.6 (95%CI: 1.7-108.5).
Conclusions
PMCID: PMC3686089
Glial fibrillary acidic protein as a brain injury biomarker in children undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Bembea, MM, Savage W, Strouse JJ, et al.
Patients age 1 day-18 years who required ECMO from April 2008 to August 2009 were studied.
GFAP was measured using an electrochemiluminescent immunoassay developed at Johns Hopkins. Control samples were collected from 99 healthy children (0.5-16 years) and 59 NICU infants without neurologic injury.
In controls, the median GFAP concentration was 0.055 ng/mL (IQR: 0-0.092 ng/mL) and the 95th percentile of GFAP was 0.436ng/mL.
In ECMO patients, plasma GFAP was measured at 6, 12 and every 24 hours after cannulation.
We enrolled 22 children who underwent ECMO. Median age was 7 days (IQR, 2 days-9 years), and primary ECMO indication was: cardiac failure, 6/22 (27.3%), respiratory failure, 12/22 (54.5%), ECPR, 3/22 (13.6%), and sepsis, 1/22 (4.6%). Seven of 22 (32%) patients developed acute neurologic injury (intracranial hemorrhage, brain death or cerebral edema diagnosed by imaging). Fifteen of 22 (68%) survived to hospital discharge.
In the ECMO group, peak GFAP levels were higher in children with brain injury than those without (median, 5.9 vs 0.09ng/mL, p=0.04) and in non-survivors compared to survivors to discharge (median, 5.9 vs 0.09ng/mL, p=0.04).
The odds ratio (OR) for brain injury for GFAP >0.436ng/mL vs normal was 11.5 (95%CI: 1.3-98.3) and the OR for mortality was 13.6 (95%CI: 1.7-108.5).
Conclusions
High GFAP during ECMO is significantly associated with acute brain injury and death. Brain injury biomarkers may aid in outcome prediction and neurologic monitoring of ECMO patients to improve outcomes and benchmark new therapies.