Koncentracija kalprotektina v blatu v odvisnosti od resnosti motnje avtističnega spektra

Kovačić, Mateja (author), Osredkar, Joško (mentor)

Motnja avtističnega spektra (MAS) je kompleksna nevrorazvojna motnja, pri kateri raziskave nakazujejo na povezavo z vnetnimi procesi v telesu. Kalprotektin je biomarker vnetja, ki bi lahko odražal intenziteto imunskega odziva pri posameznikih z MAS. V naši raziskavi smo preučevali povezanost njegove koncentracije v blatu in resnost MAS pri otrocih in mladostnikih, starih od 6 do 17 let. Vključili smo 121 otrok z diagnozo MAS in 47 zdravih otrok v kontrolni skupini ter izmerili koncentracijo kalprotektina s kemiluminiscenčno imunsko metodo (CLIA). Rezultati so pokazali višje mediane koncentracij kalprotektina pri otrocih z MAS v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino, vendar razlike niso bile statistično značilne (p > 0,05). Pri primerjavi podskupin otrok z MAS glede na resnost simptomov, ocenjenih s pomočjo lestvice CARS, so bile razlike v medianah koncentracij kalprotektina statistično značilne le pri primerjavi podskupin CARS 28,5–36,0 in CARS ≥ 36,5 (p < 0,05), pri čemer so bile najvišje vrednosti opažene pri otrocih z najtežjimi simptomi MAS. To nakazuje na možno povezavo med vnetnimi procesi in resnostjo simptomov MAS ter odpira možnosti za nadaljnje raziskovanje kalprotektina kot neinvazivnega biomarkerja. Čeprav razlike med MAS in kontrolno skupino niso bile statistično značilne, rezultati nakazujejo na biokemijske posebnosti znotraj skupine MAS, kar bi lahko prispevalo k boljšemu razumevanju bioloških mehanizmov motnje in razvoju novih diagnostičnih orodij.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: motnja avtističnega spektra, kalprotektin, lestvica CARS, biokemični markerji, vnetje, kemiluminiscenčna imunska metoda
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167404
• Publication date in RUL: 20.02.2025

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Fecal calprotectin concentration as a function of autism spectrum severity

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder in which research suggests a link to inflammatory processes in the body. Calprotectin is an inflammation biomarker that may reflect the intensity of the immune response in individuals with ASD. In our study, we examined the association between its concentration in feces and the severity of ASD in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. We included 121 children diagnosed with ASD and 47 healthy children in the control group and measured calprotectin concentration using the chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) method. The results showed higher median calprotectin concentrations in children with ASD compared to the control group; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). When comparing ASD subgroups based on symptom severity, assessed using the CARS scale, differences in median calprotectin concentrations were statistically significant only between the subgroups CARS 28.5–36.0 and CARS ≥ 36.5 (p < 0.05), with the highest values observed in children with the most severe ASD symptoms. This suggests a potential link between inflammatory processes and ASD symptom severity and opens possibilities for further research on calprotectin as a non-invasive biomarker. Although the differences in calprotectin concentrations between the ASD and control groups were not statistically significant, the results indicate biochemical variations within the ASD group, which could contribute to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms of the disorder and the development of new diagnostic tools.

• Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, calprotectin, CARS scale, biochemical markers, inflammation, chemiluminescent immunoassay