Differences in the Interleukin Profiles in Inattentive ADHD Prepubertal Children Are Probably Related to Conduct
Raquel González-Villén1, María Luisa Fernández-López2,3, Ana Checa-Ros4
1Unit of Pediatric Neurology and Neurodevelopment, Clínico San Cecilio University Hospital, Andalusian Health Service, 18016 Granada, Spain.
Insights
Cytokine levels in children with ADHD attention deficit (ADHD-AD) differ from ADHD combined (ADHD-C) and are linked to oppositional defiant conduct disorder (ODCD). Methylphenidate treatment mitigated these cytokine changes in ADHD-AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with known links to inflammatory cytokines.
- Understanding cytokine profiles in different ADHD presentations and their response to treatment is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify baseline pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in prepubertal children with ADHD.
- To assess changes in these cytokine levels after methylphenidate (MPH) treatment.
- To investigate differences in cytokine profiles between ADHD attention deficit (ADHD-AD) and ADHD combined (ADHD-C) presentations, and the influence of comorbidities like oppositional defiant conduct disorder (ODCD).
Main Methods:
- Recruited 31 prepubertal children with ADHD, subclassified into ADHD-AD (n=13) and ADHD-C (n=18).
- Screened for oppositional defiant conduct disorder (ODCD) and anxiety disorder.
- Measured baseline and post-treatment levels of four pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, TNF-α) and three anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) cytokines using Luminex® assay.
- Utilized factorial analysis for statistical evaluation.
Main Results:
- No significant overall treatment-induced changes in interleukin (IL) values were observed.
- Significant differences in cytokine levels were found almost exclusively in the ADHD-AD group, often with a profile opposite to ADHD-C.
- Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-13 showed the greatest statistical significance (p=0.01 and p=0.006, respectively) and were linked to ODCD, with these differences disappearing after MPH treatment.
Conclusions:
- Cytokine level changes in prepubertal children with ADHD-AD are likely associated with comorbidities, particularly ODCD.
- Methylphenidate treatment appears to mitigate these specific cytokine alterations in the ADHD-AD presentation.
- Further research into the interplay between ADHD subtypes, comorbidities, and inflammatory markers is warranted.
Abstract:
Inflammatory cytokines are involved in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. To quantify the baseline levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and their changes after methylphenidate (MPH), a total of 31 prepubertal children with ADHD were recruited and subclassified into only two ADHD presentations-ADHD attention deficit (n = 13) or ADHD combined (n = 18). The children were also screened for oppositional defiant conduct disorder (ODCD) and anxiety disorder. Blood samples were drawn at 09:00 and after 4.63 ± 1.87 months of treatment. Four pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-5, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)) and three anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) were measured using a Luminex® assay. For statistics, a factorial analysis was performed in Stata 15.1. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in the interleukin (IL) values induced by treatment. When grouped by presentation, the differences were present almost exclusively in ADHD-AD, usually with a profile opposite to that observed in ADHD-C, and with interactions between comorbid factors, with IL-1β (p = 0.01) and IL-13 (p = 0.006) being the ones reaching the greatest statistical significance. These differences are probably related to the ODCD factor, and they disappear after treatment. In conclusion, the changes observed in cytokine levels in prepubertal children only in the ADHD-AD presentation are probably related to comorbidities (specifically ODCD) and are mitigated after treatment.
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