A Different View on the Etiopathogenesis of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder from an Inflammation Perspective

• Published in: Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 145 - 154
• Main Authors: Dursun, Semiha, Demirci, Esra, Kilic, Eser, Ozmen, Sevgi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology 28-02-2021; 대한정신약물학회
• Subjects: Original; 정신과학; Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Inflammation; Visfatin; Interleukin-1 beta; Interleukin-6
• DOI: 10.9758/CPN.2021.19.1.145
• EISSN: 2093-4327
• ISSN: 1738-1088

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has a complex etiology and genetic, environmental and biological factors are considered to play a role in the etiology of ADHD by mutually interacting. Recent studies have emphasized that inflammation may be present in the etiology of ADHD. This study aims to investigate the possible role of visfatin, IL-6, IL-1b and TNF-α molecules in the etiology of ADHD.
The study included 60 patients and 20 healthy controls between the ages of 6-18. Serum visfatin, IL-6, IL-1b and TNF-α levels were evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits at a biochemistry laboratory.
The study showed no statistically significant difference between children with ADHD and healthy controls in terms of visfatin, IL-6, IL-1b and TNF-α levels. When ADHD subgroups (combined and predominantly inattentive types) and the control group were compared in terms of visfatin, IL-6, IL-1b and TNF-α levels, no statistically significant difference was recorded.
Data on the relationship between ADHD and IL-6, IL-1b and TNF-α in this study are in compliance with the literature. However, no study was found on visfatin in ADHD. This study is the first one evaluating the ADHD-Visfatin relationship.