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  • 9.1 Estimated age of first athletic exposure predicts baseline neurofilament light, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and tau serum levels in female athletes and military cadets

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9) Residual/Long Term Effects
9.1 Estimated age of first athletic exposure predicts baseline neurofilament light, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and tau serum levels in female athletes and military cadets
  1. Melissa Anderson1,
  2. Caitlin Gallo1,
  3. Jessica Gill2,
  4. Jaclyn Caccese3,
  5. Steven Broglio4,
  6. Micheal McCrea6,
  7. Thomas McAllister5,
  8. Paul Pasquina7,
  9. Kenneth Cameron8,
  10. Steven Malvasi8,
  11. Jesse Trump8,
  12. Megan Roach9,
  13. Johnathan Jackson7,
  14. Gerald McGinty10,
  15. Thomas Buckley1
  1. 1The University of Delaware, Newark, USA
  2. 2Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, USA
  3. 3The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Columbus, USA
  4. 4University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, Ann Arbor, USA
  5. 5Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
  6. 6Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA
  7. 7Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA
  8. 8USA Military Academy, West Point, USA
  9. 9Department of Defense Veterans Affairs Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Houston, USA
  10. 10USA Air Force Academy, Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA

Abstract

Objective Explore the association between estimated age of first exposure (eAFE) and sex with inflammatory biomarker serum levels at baseline assessment in healthy, non-concussed athletes and military cadets. We hypothesize that inflammatory biomarkers will be positively associated with eAFE for both males and females such that an earlier eAFE would result in higher baseline biomarkers.

Design Prospective.

Setting Six Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Advanced Research Core sites.

Participants Male and female college-aged adults (n=276).

Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) Non-fasting blood samples were collected by venipuncture during pre-season testing. Biomarker serum levels were quantified using the Quanterix Simoa multiplex assay. We defined eAFE as the participant’s age at the time of evaluation minus the number of years the participant reported playing his primary sport. A series of linear regression models were used to determine if eAFE predicted biomarker levels at baseline assessment. Covariate of sex was added.

Outcome Measures Neurofilament light (NF-L), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and tau serum concentrations.

Main Results Our models explained a significant proportion of the variance in NF-L (R2=0.11; p<0.001), UCH-L1 (R2=0.05; p<0.001), GFAP (R2=0.09; p<0.001), and tau (R2=0.073; p<0.001) such that an earlier eAFE, when controlling for sex, was associated with higher baseline biomarker serum levels.

Conclusions Earlier eAFE may predict elevated NF-L, UCH-L1, GFAP, and tau serum levels in female athletes and cadets at baseline assessment. This finding provides insight into possible underlying pathophysiological differences between sexes. If biomarkers are higher for females than males at baseline, this could play an essential role in mTBI recovery outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-concussion.341

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