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Immune response and stuttering: the potential link between cytokines and stutter
Saime Güzelsoy Sagiroglu1, Metin Kılınc2, Israfil Orhan1
1Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaringology, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Elevated levels of certain cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-8, and TNF-α, are linked to stuttering, indicating a proinflammatory state. These findings may aid in stuttering diagnosis and suggest immune system targets for future therapies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Stuttering is a common speech disorder with an unclear etiology.
- Cytokines play crucial roles in immune regulation and inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess serum cytokine levels in children who stutter compared to controls.
- To explore the potential of cytokines as biomarkers for stuttering.
Main Methods:
- Serum concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were measured in 34 children who stutter and 40 controls (aged 4-15).
- Stuttering severity was assessed using the Stuttering Severity Instrument-3 (SSI-3).
Main Results:
- Significantly higher levels of IL-1, IL-8, and TNF-α were found in children who stutter.
- IL-6 levels did not differ significantly between groups.
- All measured cytokines showed a statistically significant ability to distinguish between stuttering patients and controls.
Conclusions:
- Stuttering is associated with a proinflammatory state, evidenced by increased circulating cytokine levels.
- Cytokine levels may be valuable in the diagnosis and evaluation of stuttering.
- The immune system presents a potential target for novel therapeutic strategies for stuttering.
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