CXCR7, CXCR4, and Their Ligand Expression Profile in Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a health problem worldwide, and therapeutic strategies to enhance brain tissue repair to lessen neurologic sequels are imperative. We aimed to analyze the impact of the inflammatory process in TBI through CXCR4 and CXCR7 chemokine receptors and their ligands' CXCL11 and CXCL12 expression profile in search for potential new druggable targets.

Methods: Twelve pericontusional tissues from severe TBI patients submitted to surgical treatment, and 20 control brain tissues from normal autopsy were analyzed for expression profile by real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction.