Correlation between serum inflammatory factors and cognitive function in patients with high-altitude polycythemia: A...

Area of Science:

• Altitude Medicine
• Neuroinflammation
• Hematology

Background:

• High-altitude polycythemia (HAPC) is a condition characterized by an elevated red blood cell count due to chronic hypoxia.
• Cognitive impairment is increasingly recognized as a potential complication in HAPC patients.
• The role of systemic inflammation in the pathophysiology of HAPC and its cognitive effects requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum inflammatory factors in patients with high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC).
• To examine the correlation between these inflammatory factors and cognitive function in HAPC.
• To differentiate inflammatory profiles between HAPC patients with and without cognitive dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples were collected from HAPC patients and control subjects.
• Levels of key inflammatory factors, including interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were quantified using ELISA.
• Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), with HAPC patients further categorized into normal cognitive function (HNCF) and cognitive dysfunction (HCDF) groups.

Main Results:

• HAPC patients exhibited significantly lower MMSE scores and higher serum levels of IL-1β, MCP-1, and TNF-α compared to controls.
• Within the HAPC group, patients with cognitive dysfunction (HCDF) showed significantly elevated levels of IL-1β, MCP-1, and TNF-α compared to those with normal cognitive function (HNCF).
• Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between inflammatory factors and hemoglobin levels, and a negative correlation with MMSE scores.

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum levels of IL-1β, MCP-1, and TNF-α are associated with HAPC and cognitive dysfunction.
• Chronic hypoxia in HAPC may influence red blood cell metabolism and inflammatory factor production, potentially contributing to vascular lesions and cognitive impairment.
• These findings suggest a link between systemic inflammation, red blood cell changes, and cognitive deficits in individuals living at high altitudes.