Fig. 3

Predicted differences in biomarker kinetics between neonates and adults, based on GFR, body size, and steady-state BBB function. The plot shown in (a) demonstrates, for steady-state S100B levels in blood, a ~16-fold increase for newborns compared to adults (0.92 and 0.055 ng/ml, respectively). After maximal BBBD, newborns presented a more dramatic increase in serum S100B concentrations. The horizontal dashed lines in (a) show a consistency between the observed levels and results from prior literature, for steady-state as well as maximal BBBD in adults [3, 24, 40]. Figure b and c show the behavior for serum levels of the homodimeric form of S100B (21 kD), as well as GFAP (26 kD) and S100B monomer. The concentration profiles in a newborn b show a significantly increased steady-state and post-BBBD serum level for all biomarkers, compared to an adult (c). The differences among markers within a neonatal or adult population was entirely attributed in our model to GFR values. The horizontal dashed lines in c again show consistency between model predictions and results from previous studies [3, 24, 40]