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Published on: November 20, 2015
Relationship Between TNF-α and the Risk of Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Baotian Wang1, Fan Wang1, De Wu1
1Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Insights
Elevated blood tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels are linked to a higher risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in children. Further research is needed to understand this association.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Science
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neurological disorder with multifactorial causes.
- Inflammation, particularly involving cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), is increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to CP pathogenesis.
Approach:
- A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, synthesizing data from nine observational studies.
- Studies were systematically searched across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ovid) up to April 2022.
- Statistical methods, including a random-effects model and heterogeneity analysis, were employed to assess the association between blood TNF-α levels and CP risk.
Key Points:
- The meta-analysis included 1,117 cases and 3,563 controls, with good literature quality and no significant publication bias.
- Elevated blood TNF-α levels demonstrated a statistically significant association with an increased risk of cerebral palsy (Odds Ratio: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.25-2.66).
- Substantial heterogeneity was observed among the included studies (I² = 81.2%, p = 0.000), indicating variability in findings.
Conclusions:
- This meta-analysis provides evidence that higher blood levels of TNF-α are associated with an elevated risk of developing cerebral palsy in children.
- The findings underscore the potential role of TNF-α in CP development.
- Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying the TNF-α and CP association and its clinical implications.
Objective:
We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between blood tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels and the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in children.
Methods:
PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Ovid databases were searched from the date of database inception to 26 April 2022. Data were extracted and pooled from observational studies related to TNF-α and the risk of CP in children. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We used the inverse variance method with a random-effects model to estimate the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and stratified analyses and sensitivity analysis were utilized to analyse heterogeneity.
Results:
Nine studies with 1,117 cases and 3,563 controls were included in our meta-analysis. The quality of the literature was good, and no publication bias was noted. According to the random-effects model, blood TNF-α levels were associated with the risk of CP (OR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.25-2.66) in a heterogeneous set of studies (I 2 = 81.2%, p = 0.000).
Conclusion:
Our findings indicate that elevated TNF-α levels in the blood are associated with an increased risk of CP. The association of TNF-α with CP requires further investigation.
