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GFAP positivity in neurons following traumatic brain injuries
Zwirner J, Lier J, Franke H, Hammer N, Matschke J, Trautz F, Tse R, Ondruschka B.. International journal of legal medicine, 2021-06-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a well-established astrocytic biomarker for the diagnosis, monitoring and outcome prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Few studies stated an accumulation of neuronal GFAP that was observed in various brain pathologies, including traumatic brain injuries. As the neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP in Alzheimer patients was shown to cross-react with non-GFAP epitopes, the neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP in TBI patients should be challenged. In this study, cerebral and cerebellar tissues of 52 TBI fatalities and 17 controls were screened for immunopositivity for GFAP in neurons by means of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The results revealed that neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP is most likely a staining artefact as negative controls also revealed neuronal GFAP staining. However, the phenomenon was twice as frequent for TBI fatalities compared to non-TBI control cases (12 vs. 6%). Neuronal GFAP staining was observed in the pericontusional zone and the ipsilateral hippocampus, but was absent in the contralateral cortex of TBI cases. Immunopositivity for GFAP was significantly correlated with the survival time (r = 0.306, P = 0.015), but no correlations were found with age at death, sex nor the post-mortem interval in TBI fatalities. This study provides evidence that the TBI-associated neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP is indeed a staining artefact. However, an absence post-traumatic neuronal GFAP cannot readily be assumed. Regardless of the particular mechanism, this study revealed that the artefact/potential neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP is a global, rather than a regional brain phenomenon and might be useful for minimum TBI survival time determinations, if certain exclusion criteria are strictly respected.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Zwirner, J., Lier, J., Franke, H., Hammer, N., Matschke, J., Trautz, F., et al. (2021). GFAP positivity in neurons following traumatic brain injuries. International journal of legal medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02568-1
Vancouver
Zwirner J, Lier J, Franke H, Hammer N, Matschke J, Trautz F, et al. GFAP positivity in neurons following traumatic brain injuries. International journal of legal medicine. 2021. doi:10.1007/s00414-021-02568-1. PMID: 34114049.
BibTeX
@article{zwirner2021-34114049,
author = {Zwirner, J. and Lier, J. and Franke, H. and Hammer, N. and Matschke, J. and Trautz, F. and Tse, R. and Ondruschka, B.},
title = {{GFAP positivity in neurons following traumatic brain injuries}},
journal = {International journal of legal medicine},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1007/s00414-021-02568-1},
pmid = {34114049},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02568-1}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The results revealed that neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP is most likely a staining artefact as negative controls also revealed neuronal GFAP staining.
- However, the phenomenon was twice as frequent for TBI fatalities compared to non-TBI control cases (12 vs. 6%).
- Immunopositivity for GFAP was significantly correlated with the survival time (r = 0.306, P = 0.015), but no correlations were found with age at death, sex nor the post-mortem interval in TBI fatalities.
- Regardless of the particular mechanism, this study revealed that the artefact/potential neuronal immunopositivity for GFAP is a global, rather than a regional brain phenomenon and might be useful for minimum TBI survival time determinations, if certain exclusion criteria are strictly respected.
Why it matters
In brain tissue from 52 people who died after traumatic brain injury and 17 controls, apparent GFAP staining inside neurons was most likely a staining artefact because negative controls also showed it. This finding concerns traumatic brain injury, not Alzheimer's disease treatment, and suggests caution in interpreting neuronal GFAP signals.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International journal of legal medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | International Journal of Legal Medicine: journal h-index 119 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 59 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.4 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 46 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Benjamin Ondruschka: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Leipzig University: institution h-index 763 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34114049) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
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