Serum Cingulin and Interleukin-6 Levels in Children With Specific Learning Disorder

This study examined cingulin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in children with specific learning disorder (SLD) to explore their association with inflammation and tight junction-related barrier biological processes in the context of the disorder.

The research compared 40 children with SLD and 41 healthy peers using a cross-sectional, case-controlled design. Serum cingulin and IL-6 levels were measured using the ELISA method. The Mathematics, Reading and Writing Assessment Scale (MOYA) teacher and parent forms were applied to evaluate disease severity in the SLD group.

Both cingulin and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the SLD group than in the controls (p = 0.005 and p = 0.009, respectively). These differences maintained their significance during covariance analysis. These findings indicate a significant group-related difference in cingulin and IL-6 levels, and that this was independent of age, gender and body mass index. A positive correlation was determined between cingulin and IL-6 in the SLD group (r = 0.472, p = 0.020). In the context of logistic regression analysis, cingulin demonstrated an independent association with the presence of SLD (OR = 1.006, p = 0.041), while IL-6 did not. An AUC value of 0.679 was calculated for cingulin at receiver operating characteristic analysis (p = 0.003).

Elevated serum cingulin and IL-6 levels in children with SLD may reflect inflammatory activity and barrier-related biological processes associated with the disorder. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary and require confirmation in larger, longitudinal studies incorporating direct assessments of barrier function.