innate immune proteins as biomarkers for CNS lesions

摘要

A method of evaluating a patient suspected of having a central nervous system (CNS) injury comprising: measuring the level of at least one inflammasome protein in a biological sample obtained from a patient presenting with clinical symptoms consistent with a lesion of the CNS, the biological sample being cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, serum or plasma, and the at least one inflammasome protein being a protein containing nucleotide-binding domains, repeating rich in leucine and pyrin 1 (NLRP1) , apoptosis-associated punctate protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), caspase-1 or the p20 subunit of caspase-1; determining the presence or absence of an elevated level of at least one inflammasome protein with respect to (i) the level of the at least one inflammasome protein in a control sample or (ii) the predetermined reference value or a range of values of reference; and select the patient if the patient shows, with the presence of a high level of the at least one inflammasome protein, that he has a CNS injury or a more severe CNS injury, the biological sample being obtained, optionally, in less than a week , five days or three days after the alleged injury.