Low blood caspase-8 levels in survivor patients of traumatic brain injury

Objective High concentrations of caspase-8 (main initiator caspase of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis) have been found in brain tissue of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in the blood of patients with different diseases. However, blood caspase-8 concentrations in TBI patients have not been reported. Therefore, our aim was to analyze whether blood caspase-8 concentrations are associated with mortality in TBI patients. Method Patients with isolated and severe TBI were included. TBI was considered isolated if it showed an Injury Severity Score (ISS)