Natural Progression of Routine Laboratory Markers after Spinal Trauma: A Longitudinal, Multi-Cohort Study

Journal of Neurotrauma, 2021 · DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0012 · Published: August 1, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Bioinformatics Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

This study tracked serological markers after spinal cord injury to understand their natural progression over one year. The study found that many serological markers were initially abnormal but normalized within 6–12 months post-injury. Injury severity influenced these markers, with more severe injuries showing more pathological values.

Study Duration

1 year

Participants

Sygen trial: 679; Murnau study: 239

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Most serological markers were at pathological levels at baseline but returned to normal values within 6–12 months post-injury.
2
Baseline levels and longitudinal trajectories of serological markers were dependent on injury severity; more complete injuries were associated with more pathological values.
3
Differences in serological markers between the Sygen and Murnau databases are likely due to differences in study design, sample size, and standard of care.

Research Summary

The study tracked serological markers over one year following spinal cord injury, finding that most markers normalized within 6-12 months, with injury severity affecting these levels. Differences between two data sources (Sygen and Murnau studies) were attributed to variations in study design, sample size, and standards of care. The findings provide a benchmark for clinical decision-making and prospective clinical trials and are interactively explorable on the Haemosurveillance website.

Practical Implications

Clinical Decision Making

The study provides a benchmark for clinicians to assess the natural progression of serological markers after spinal cord injury.

Clinical Trial Design

The findings can inform patient stratification and safety assessment in clinical trials for spinal cord injury treatments.

Haemosurveillance Tool

The interactive web platform allows researchers and clinicians to explore the data and compare different datasets.

Study Limitations

1
Use of retrospective data collected in clinical trial conditions may limit translation to current clinical context.
2
Time points of data collection were not standardized in the Murnau study.
3
Small sample size prevented meaningful subgroup analysis stratified by sex and age.

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