Causes of elevated serum levels of S100B protein in athletes

the rise in serum S100B in coincidence with an intense physical activity (in the absence of TBI) may well depend on reversible skeletal muscle tissue damage and enhanced release from adipocytes. In this respect, it should be kept in mind that S100B is expressed in great abundance by astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymocytes in the central nervous system, by Schwann cells and ganglion glial cells in the peripheral nervous system as well as by several non-nervous cells including adipocytes. Considering the high abundance of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, it is conceivable that rises in serum S100B in the absence of TBI or melanoma may be attributed to release from acutely injured skeletal myofibers and/or adipocytes. it is important to think of S100B not only in terms of biomarker of nervous and nonnervous disease states, but also of an extracellular signal involved in tissue repair/regeneration (or amplification of the local inflammatory response in case of accumulation of the protein at damage sites).