Interleukin-23 levels in umbilical cord blood are associated with neurodevelopmental trajectories in infancy
Machiko K Asaka1, Tomoko Nishimura1,2, Hitoshi Kuwabara3,4
1United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan.
Insights
Lower interleukin-23 (IL-23) levels in cord blood are linked to markedly delayed infant neurodevelopmental trajectories. This finding suggests IL-23 may predict developmental outcomes at birth.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Early neurodevelopmental trajectories are crucial for identifying children at risk for disorders.
- Previous research identified five distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories in Japanese infants from birth to two years.
- Understanding prenatal factors influencing these trajectories is essential for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between umbilical cord serum cytokine concentrations and predefined infant neurodevelopmental trajectories.
- To determine if specific cytokine levels can predict neurodevelopmental outcomes at birth.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a cohort of Japanese infants followed from birth to two years.
- Measured Mullen Scale of Early Learning scores to categorize neurodevelopmental trajectories.
- Analyzed concentrations of cytokines in umbilical cord serum, focusing on interleukin-23 (IL-23).
Main Results:
- A significant inverse association was found between lower IL-23 levels and the markedly delayed neurodevelopmental trajectory.
- IL-23 levels showed a dose-dependent decrease as neurodevelopmental trajectories became more delayed.
- This association remained significant after adjusting for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions:
- Interleukin-23 (IL-23) in cord blood is a potential predictive biomarker for infant neurodevelopmental trajectories.
- Lower IL-23 levels are associated with delayed neurodevelopment, highlighting its role in early development.
- These findings support the utility of IL-23 measurement at birth for predicting developmental outcomes.
Abstract:
Our previous study, which aimed to understand the early neurodevelopmental trajectories of children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders, identified five classes of early neurodevelopmental trajectories, categorized as high normal, normal, low normal, delayed, and markedly delayed. This investigation involved measurement using the Mullen Scale of Early Learning in a representative sample of Japanese infants followed up from the age of 0 to 2 years (Nishimura et al., 2016). In the present study, we investigated the potential association between cytokine concentrations in umbilical cord serum with any of the five classes of neurodevelopmental trajectories previously assigned, as follows: high normal (N = 85, 13.0%), normal (N = 322, 49.1%), low normal (N = 137, 20.9%), delayed (N = 87, 13.3%), and markedly delayed (N = 25, 3.8%) in infancy. Decreased interleukin (IL)-23 levels in the cord blood were associated with the markedly delayed class, independent of potential confounders (odds ratio, 0.44; 95%confidence interval: 0.26-0.73). Furthermore, IL-23 levels decreased as the developmental trajectory became more delayed, demonstrating that IL-23 plays an important role in development, and is useful for predicting the developmental trajectory at birth.
