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Inflammatory biomarkers in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review
Rafael Coelho Magalhães1, Janaina Matos Moreira2, Amanda Oliveira Lauar1
1Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Insights
Elevated inflammatory markers in the blood are linked to abnormal neurological findings in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Further research is needed to confirm the role of prenatal and perinatal inflammation in CP neurological outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
Background:
- Systemic inflammation is linked to central nervous system injuries, potentially causing long-term motor, sensory, and cognitive disabilities.
- Persistent inflammation may play a role in the pathophysiology of cerebral palsy (CP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review studies investigating the association between peripheral inflammatory molecules and neurodevelopment in infants.
- To explore the relationship between inflammation and neurological outcomes in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was performed in Bireme, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus up to August 2019.
- Keywords included "cerebral palsy", "brain injury", "inflammation", "oxidative stress", "cytokines", "chemokines", "neuropsychomotor development", "neurodevelopment outcomes", and "child".
- Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).
Main Results:
- Fourteen studies examined the link between peripheral inflammatory molecules and infant neurodevelopment.
- Inflammatory proteins were measured in various biological samples (blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine).
- Ten studies found higher circulating levels of cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, CXCL8/IL-8) associated with abnormal neurological findings.
Conclusions:
- Investigating the association between inflammatory molecules and neurological development in children with CP requires more original research.
- Further studies are needed to clarify the influence of prenatal and perinatal inflammation on neurological outcomes in CP.
Background:
An exacerbated systemic inflammatory response has been associated with the occurrence of central nervous system injuries that may determine, in long term, motor, sensorial and cognitive disabilities. Persistence of this exacerbated inflammatory response seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of cerebral palsy (CP).
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted in Bireme, Embase, PubMed and Scopus including studies that were published until August 2019. The key words used were "cerebral palsy", "brain injury", "inflammation", "oxidative stress", "cytokines", "chemokines", "neuropsychomotor development", "neurodevelopment outcomes" and "child". The quality of the eligible studies was determined according to the criteria suggested by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).
Results:
Fourteen eligible studies aimed to investigate the association between peripheral inflammatory molecules and neurodevelopment in infants. The studies differed regarding CP-related risk factors and its classification. Inflammatory proteins were measured in blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid or urine. In ten studies, higher circulating levels of cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF and CXCL8/IL-8, were associated with abnormal neurological findings.
Conclusion:
The investigation of the potential association between inflammatory molecules and neurological development in children with CP requires further original studies in order to clarify the influence of prenatal and perinatal inflammation on neurological outcomes.
