Oxidative stress and gut-derived lipopolysaccharides in children affected by Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections.
Abstract Background: paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections syndrome (PANDAS) identifies patients with acute onset of obsessive-compulsive and tic disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate serum NOX2 levels, as well as 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of PANDAS patients. Methods: in this study we wanted to compare serum levels of soluble NOX2-dp (sNOX-2-dp), iso-PGF2α and LPS in 60 consecutive subjects, including 30 children affected by PANDAS and 30 controls (CT) matched for age and gender. Serum zonulin was used as intestinal permeability assay.Results: compared with CT, PANDAS children had increased serum levels of sNOX-2-dp, 8-iso-PGF2α and LPS. Bivariate analysis showed that serum sNOX2-dp was significantly correlated with LPS (Rs=0.359; p=0.005), zonulin (Rs=0.444; p<0.001) and 8-iso-PGF2α (Rs=0.704; p<0.001). Serum LPS significantly correlated with zonulin (Rs=0.610; p<0.001), and 8-iso-PGF2α (Rs=0.591; p=0.001). Finally, a multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum 8-iso-PGF2α and zonulin were the only independent variables associated with sNOX2-dp (R2=68%).Conclusion: this study shows that children affected by PANDAS have high circulating levels of sNOX2-dp, isoprostanes and of LPS that could be involved in the process of neuroinflammation.