Inflammatory Markers in the Blood of Spastic Cerebral Palsy Children: A Case–Control Study

Objectives: The aim was to simultaneously investigate inflammatory biomarkers, neopterin, the kynurenine/tryptophan (Kyn/Trp) pathway, vitamin D (VitD), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), and erythrocyte folate, in cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: A case–control study was conducted at Mersin University...

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Main Authors: Özlem Tezol, Sıddika Songül Yalçın, Gözde Girgin, Anıl Yirün, Sonia Sanajou, Aylin Balcı Özyurt, Belgin Bayram, Oytun Portakal, Terken Baydar, Çetin Okuyaz, Pınar Erkekoğlu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Children
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/3/343
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Summary:Objectives: The aim was to simultaneously investigate inflammatory biomarkers, neopterin, the kynurenine/tryptophan (Kyn/Trp) pathway, vitamin D (VitD), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), and erythrocyte folate, in cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: A case–control study was conducted at Mersin University Hospital. Three- to ten-year-old patients with spastic CP (n = 50) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 55) were included. Serum levels of neopterin, Trp, Kyn and 25OHD, plasma VDBP, and erythrocyte folate concentrations were measured. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1) enzyme activity was evaluated according to the Kyn/Trp ratio. Comparison and correlation analyses were performed. Results: The levels of neopterin, Trp, and Kyn were lower in children with CP than in healthy controls (<i>p</i> = 0.037, <i>p</i> < 0.001, and <i>p</i> = 0.003, respectively). IDO1 was not significantly different between the CP and control groups (<i>p</i> = 0.214). The levels of VitD and VDBP were higher in children with CP (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.001, respectively). The level of erythrocyte folate was also higher in children with CP (<i>p</i> < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between age and inflammatory biomarkers in the CP group. Neopterin was correlated with the level of Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level (r = 0.292, <i>p</i> = 0.044), while there was no significant correlation between the other biomarkers and the level of GMFCS in the CP group. Conclusions: Inflammatory biomarkers of neopterin and Kyn are lower, inflammatory biomarkers of VDBP and erythrocyte folate are higher, and anti-inflammatory VitD is higher in children with spastic CP compared to healthy children. More knowledge is needed to demonstrate inflammatory and anti-inflammatory status in children with CP.
ISSN:2227-9067