A Pilot Study Identifying Brain-Targeting Adaptive Immunity in Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients With Acquired Brain Injury

Abstract

We show that pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients with acquired brain injury exhibit an induction of pro-inflammatory cell signaling, a robust activation of adaptive immune cells, and CNS-targeting adaptive immune responses. As these patients experience developmental delays for years after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, it is critical to identify and characterize adaptive immune cell mechanisms that target the developing CNS.