Features of peripheral and intrathecal content of immunological markers of inflammation in combatants with mild TBI depending on the chronicity of its course

Aim: To investigate the levels of inflammatory mediators of the immune system in blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in combatants with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) at different time periods after its acquisition. Materials and methods: IL-6, TNFα, IL-10 and TGFβ1 concentrations were measured according to the instructions of the «Human ELISA Kit» (Elabscience Bionovation Inc., USA) in 53 paired serum and CSF samples from patients with combat mTBI. Results: In the general group of patients with mTBI, a significant increase in the peripheral content of IL-6, IL-10, TGFβ1 was found, compared with healthy donors (control). When studying these indicators depending on the duration of the post-traumatic period, a persistent increase in the level of IL-6 was shown in combination with significantly increased TGFβ1 concentration indicators and a tendency to an increased level of IL-10. At the same time, the analysis of the central content of inflammatory biomarkers did not reveal their significant changes at different times after TBI, with the exception of a tendency to a decrease in the presence of IL-6, the presence of which in paired analytes prevailed in CSF along with the prevalence of peripheral finding of TNFα, IL-10, TGFβ1. Conclusions: Thus, the increased content of circulating pro-inflammatory IL-6 and TNFα in the intermediate and remote periods of the course of TBI and a significantly (approximately 6 times) increased level of pleiotropic TGFβ1 in combination with anti-inflammatory IL-10 indicate the persistent nature of inflammation, which indicates the possibility of induction of neurodegenerative processes in combatants with TBI. Such results confirm the feasibility of comprehensive monitoring of immunological markers of inflammation to identify potential directions for adequate pathogenetic therapy even in the context of significantly distant consequences of TBI.