Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes
Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common medically unexplained symptom among children worldwide. However, the biological mechanisms behind the development of functional and behavioral symptoms and changes in blood markers have not been well explored. This study aimed to assess changes in the conce...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.702301/full |
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| author | Kyaimon Myint Kelly Jacobs Aye-Mu Myint Sau Kuen Lam Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim Christopher Chiong-Meng Boey See Ziau Hoe Gilles J. Guillemin |
| author_facet | Kyaimon Myint Kelly Jacobs Aye-Mu Myint Sau Kuen Lam Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim Christopher Chiong-Meng Boey See Ziau Hoe Gilles J. Guillemin |
| author_sort | Kyaimon Myint |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common medically unexplained symptom among children worldwide. However, the biological mechanisms behind the development of functional and behavioral symptoms and changes in blood markers have not been well explored. This study aimed to assess changes in the concentrations of inflammatory markers, including cytokines and tryptophan catabolites, in the serum of children with RAP compared to those with subclinical infections. Children with RAP but without organic diseases were included, and those with asymptomatic intestinal parasitic infections were used as a subclinical infection cohort. Blood samples were collected and used to measure the cytokine profile using Multiplex Immunoassay and tryptophan catabolites using high performance liquid chromatography. Children with RAP showed significantly higher concentrations of serum tumor necrotic factor-α, p<0.05, but lower concentrations of IL-10, p<0.001, IL-6, p<0.001 and brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) p<0.01. In addition, a significant increase in the metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) p<0.01, a significant decrease in the concentrations of anthranilic acid (AA) p<0.001, together with an increased ratio of serum 3-HAA to AA (3-HAA/AA) p<0.001, was found in this cohort. These findings indicate the significant activation of the immune system and presence of inflammation in children with RAP than those with subclinical parasitic infections. Moreover, children with RAP tested with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), displayed high psychological problems though these SDQ scores were not statistically associated with measured cytokines and kynurenine metabolites. We however could hypothesize that the pro-inflammatory state together with concomitant low concentrations of BDNF in those children with RAP could play a role in psychological stress and experiencing medically unexplained symptoms. |
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| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T22:44:42Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9e8579e71874d6f89ac1a498ad6c9bc2022-12-21T21:29:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242021-09-011210.3389/fimmu.2021.702301702301Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory ChangesKyaimon Myint0Kelly Jacobs1Aye-Mu Myint2Sau Kuen Lam3Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim4Christopher Chiong-Meng Boey5See Ziau Hoe6Gilles J. Guillemin7Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaNeuroinflammation Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaPsychoneuroimmunology Research Group, European Collaborative Project, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bandar Sungai Long, MalaysiaDepartment of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaDepartment of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaNeuroinflammation Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaRecurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common medically unexplained symptom among children worldwide. However, the biological mechanisms behind the development of functional and behavioral symptoms and changes in blood markers have not been well explored. This study aimed to assess changes in the concentrations of inflammatory markers, including cytokines and tryptophan catabolites, in the serum of children with RAP compared to those with subclinical infections. Children with RAP but without organic diseases were included, and those with asymptomatic intestinal parasitic infections were used as a subclinical infection cohort. Blood samples were collected and used to measure the cytokine profile using Multiplex Immunoassay and tryptophan catabolites using high performance liquid chromatography. Children with RAP showed significantly higher concentrations of serum tumor necrotic factor-α, p<0.05, but lower concentrations of IL-10, p<0.001, IL-6, p<0.001 and brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) p<0.01. In addition, a significant increase in the metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) p<0.01, a significant decrease in the concentrations of anthranilic acid (AA) p<0.001, together with an increased ratio of serum 3-HAA to AA (3-HAA/AA) p<0.001, was found in this cohort. These findings indicate the significant activation of the immune system and presence of inflammation in children with RAP than those with subclinical parasitic infections. Moreover, children with RAP tested with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), displayed high psychological problems though these SDQ scores were not statistically associated with measured cytokines and kynurenine metabolites. We however could hypothesize that the pro-inflammatory state together with concomitant low concentrations of BDNF in those children with RAP could play a role in psychological stress and experiencing medically unexplained symptoms.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.702301/fullrecurrent abdominal painstressneurotrophinimmune mediatorskynurenine pathway |
| spellingShingle | Kyaimon Myint Kelly Jacobs Aye-Mu Myint Sau Kuen Lam Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim Christopher Chiong-Meng Boey See Ziau Hoe Gilles J. Guillemin Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes Frontiers in Immunology recurrent abdominal pain stress neurotrophin immune mediators kynurenine pathway |
| title | Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes |
| title_full | Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes |
| title_fullStr | Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes |
| title_short | Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes |
| title_sort | psychological stresses in children trigger cytokine and kynurenine metabolite mediated abdominal pain and proinflammatory changes |
| topic | recurrent abdominal pain stress neurotrophin immune mediators kynurenine pathway |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.702301/full |
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