Increased Serum Level of CCL5 in Children with Attention‑Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: First Results about Serum Chemokines

Objective@#Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and its aetiology is not fully understood. This study aimed to determine whether the CCL5 and CCL11 influence the ADHD aetiology by comparing serum CCL5 and CCL11 levels of children with ADHD and typical development. @*Methods@#This study included 45 (27 males, mean age = 8.9 ± 1.7 years) treatment-naive patients diagnosed with ADHD and 35 (20 males, mean age = 8.8 ± 1.6 years) healthy controls. Participants ranged in age between 6−12 years and completed the Conners Teacher Rating Scale that assesses ADHD presentation and severity. CCL5 and CCL11 serum levels were also measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. @*Results@#Significantly higher serum CCL5 levels were found in children with ADHD compared to healthy controls (p ＜ 0.001). No significant difference was found between the mean serum CC11 level of the patients and controls (p = 0.93). In addition, there was no significant correlation between the serum CCL5 and CCL11 levels and predominant presentations of ADHD and disease severity. @*Conclusion@#This study suggests that there are higher levels of serum CCL5 in drug naive children with ADHD, this findings suggest that CCL5 might play a role in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Moreover, these changes in peripheral blood may have therapeutic value. In addition, these results help to understand the role of chemokines in elucidating the etiopathogenesis of ADHD. Our results can be considered as the first step in investigating the role of CCL5 in ADHD, and further research is needed to support these initial findings.

Effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Blocker Adalimumab in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVE: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) have proven effects in pathogenesis of neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI). Current study is designed to evaluate the effects of an anti-TNF-alpha agent, adalimumab, on spinal cord clip compression injury in rats. METHODS: Thirty two male adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups (sham, trauma, infliximab, and adalimumab groups) and SCI was introduced using an aneurysm clip. Animals in treatment groups received 5 mg/kg subcutaneous adalimumab and infliximab right after the trauma. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were studied in traumatized spinal cord tissues 72 hours after the injury as a marker of lipid peroxidation. RESULTS: Animals that received anti-TNF-alpha agents are found to have significantly decreased MDA levels. MDA levels were significantly different between the trauma and infliximab groups (p<0.01) and trauma and adalimumab groups (p=0.022). There was no significant difference in neurological evaluation of the rats using Tarlov scale. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, like infliximab, adalimumab has favorable effects on lipid peroxidation induced by spinal cord trauma in rats.

Consequences of hypoxia-reoxygenation phenomena in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [OSAS] is a common disorder characterized by numerous episodes of absence of respiratory flow during sleep, which can be followed by a decrease in SaO2, which is rapidly normalized when ventilation resumes. We hypothesize that this hypoxia-reoxygenation phenomena may affect the generation of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], erythropoietin [EPO], endothelin-1 [ENDO-1], and inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]. Prospective, patients referred to sleep disorders center. The presence and severity of OSAS were determined using the standard overnight polysomnography. Diagnosis of OSAS was made when the apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] was >/= 15, independent of the appearance of symptoms. Serum levels of VEGF, EPO, ENDO-1, and nitrite-nitrate were measured after overnight fasting in 69 patients with OSAS and in 17 healthy control subjects. Serum levels of VEGF and nitrite-nitrate were measured again after 12 weeks of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP] in OSAS patients. Serum VEGF levels were found to be significantly higher and nitrite-nitrate levels were found to be significantly lower in OSAS patients than in controls [P=.003, .008, respectively], but no differences in EPO and ENDO-1 levels were found between the groups. We demonstrated that in OSAS patients, the serum VEGF levels were decreased and nitrate levels were increased after 12 weeks of CPAP treatment [P=.001, .002, respectively]. According to our data, it is likely that hypoxia-reoxygenation phenomena affect the VEGF and nitrite-nitrate levels, which may be pathogenic factors in generating cardiovascular complications in OSAS