Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA in Acute Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Treatment options remain limited and are hampered by our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms, including the inflammatory response observed in the brain. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been shown to activate an innate inflammatory response by acting as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). Here, we show raised circulating cell-free (ccf) mtDNA levels in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum within 48 h of brain injury. CSF ccf-mtDNA levels correlated with clinical severity and the interleukin-6 cytokine response. These findings support the use of ccf-mtDNA as a biomarker after acute brain injury linked to the inflammatory disease mechanism.

Automated summary

Traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage are significant global diseases with limited treatment options. This research found elevated levels of cell-free mtDNA in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum within 48 hours of brain injury, which correlated with clinical severity and inflammatory response. These findings suggest that ccf-mtDNA could serve as a biomarker for inflammation-related acute brain injury.