Traumatic brain injury increases β-amyloid peptide 1-42 in cerebrospinal fluid

The β-amyloid peptides, Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40, were quantified in ventricular CSF taken daily for up to 3 weeks from six individuals with severe traumatic brain injury (-FBI). There was considerable interindividual variability in the levels of Aβ peptides, but in general Aβ1-42 levels equalled or exceeded those of Aβ1-40. Averaging the daily totals of our trauma cohort revealed that the levels of Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40 rose after injury, peaking in the first week and then declining toward control levels over the next 2 weeks. Aβ1-42 levels were on average two to three times higher in the trauma cohort than in CSF from nontrauma samples. Compared with nontrauma samples, the Aβ1-40/Aβ1-42 ratio decreased about fivefold in the trauma patients, further indicative of increased Aβ1-42 levels. The ratio remained low at all time points studied. No change was measured in the levels of β-amyloid precursor protein during the same interval. These results suggest that Aβ1-42 becomes elevated in the CSF after severe brain trauma.