title: Plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) Levels Correlate with Disease Severity in Spastic Diplegia, Triplegia, and Quadriplegia in Children with Cerebral Palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND Inflammatory responses in utero and in neonates have been involved in the development of white matter lesions. This study aimed to investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in spastic cerebral palsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plasma TNF-α was measured by ELISA in 54 children with spastic cerebral palsy and 28 aged-matched controls. Both groups were split into age subgroups (1-3 vs. 4-12). Gross motor function and activities of daily living were assessed on enrollment and after 6 months of rehabilitation. RESULTS TNF-α was higher in patients with cerebral palsy than in controls in young (P<0.001) and older subjects (P<0.001). TNF-α levels were comparable in both control subgroups (P=0.819). Younger patients with cerebral palsy had significantly higher TNF-α levels compared with older ones (P<0.001). Pre-rehabilitation TNF-α levels correlated with improvements in activities of daily living after rehabilitation (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Children with cerebral palsy showed higher plasma levels of TNF-α than controls. In addition, pre-treatment TNF-α levels were correlated with the improvements after rehabilitation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jianxian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xueming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha