Neuroglobin has shown rich neuroprotective effects against cerebral hypoxia, and 
therefore has the potential to impact outcomes after traumatic brain injury 
(TBI). However, to date an association between genetic variation within the 
human neuroglobin (NGB) gene and recovery post-TBI has not been reported. The 
purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NGB genotypes and 
outcomes (as assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS], the Disability Rating 
Scale [DRS], and the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-Revised [NRS-R]) after severe 
TBI. Genotyping using TaqMan allele discrimination for two tagging single 
nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) that represent the two haplotype blocks for NGB 
(rs3783988 and rs10133981) was completed on DNA obtained from 196 Caucasian 
patients recovering from severe TBI. Patients were dichotomized based on the 
presence of the variant allele for each tSNP. Chi-square and Fisher's exact 
tests were used to compare characteristics between groups. Multivariate linear 
regression was used to examine NGB tSNPs and recovery from severe TBI. Subjects 
with the TT genotype (wild-type) for rs3783988 were more likely to have better 
GOS and DRS scores at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, while rs10133981 genotype was not 
significantly related to functional outcome. After controlling for age, gender, 
and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, those subjects with the rs3783988 TT 
genotype had more than a 2.65-times greater likelihood of better functional 
outcomes than individuals with genotypes harboring a variant allele. Data 
suggest that the haplotype block represented by rs3783988 in NGB appears to 
influence recovery after severe TBI. Represented within this haplotype block of 
NGB is the region that codes for the oxygen-binding portion of NGB.