Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Nutrients. 2024 May 20;16(10):1538. doi: 10.3390/nu16101538.
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) present a higher prevalence in individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs). The Stress System and the Gut-Brain axis (GBA) may mediate these relations. We aimed to assess the prevalence and profile of FGIDs in a clinical sample of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing children (TD) as well as to investigate possible relations between stress-related biomarkers and internalizing/externalizing problems in children with NDDS.
In total, 120 children, aged between 4 and 12 years old, formed three groups (N = 40, each): ADHD, ASD and TD. Salivary cortisol, hair cortisol and serum leptin were measured.
The ASD group had more FGID problems than the TD group ( = 0.001). The ADHD and ASD groups had higher total internalizing/externalizing problems than the TD group ( < 0.0001, < 0.0001, = 0.005, respectively). Children with FGIDs showed more total, internalizing and externalizing problems compared to children without FGIDs ( < 0.0001, < 0.0001, = 0.041, respectively). The ADHD group showed lower AUCg values ( < 0.0001), while the hair cortisol was higher for the TD group ( < 0.0001).
In conclusion, children with NDDs had more FGID symptoms and present higher internalizing and externalizing problems. Children with ADHD and FGIDs had more internalizing problems compared to those without FGIDs. No differences in stress-related biomarkers were shown to differentiate children with NDDs with and without FGIDs. Future prospective studies including a greater number of children may elucidate the biological pathways linking these comorbidities.
神经发育障碍（NDDs）患者功能性胃肠疾病（FGIDs）的患病率较高。应激系统和肠脑轴（GBA）可能介导这些关系。我们旨在评估自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）和注意缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）儿童与正常发育儿童（TD）相比 FGIDs 的患病率和特征，并研究 NDDs 儿童应激相关生物标志物与内化/外化问题之间的可能关系。
共有 120 名年龄在 4 至 12 岁之间的儿童分为三组（每组 40 名）：ADHD、ASD 和 TD。测量唾液皮质醇、头发皮质醇和血清瘦素。
ASD 组 FGID 问题多于 TD 组（ = 0.001）。ADHD 和 ASD 组总内化/外化问题多于 TD 组（<0.0001，<0.0001， = 0.005，分别）。与无 FGIDs 的儿童相比，有 FGIDs 的儿童总、内化和外化问题更多（<0.0001，<0.0001， = 0.041，分别）。ADHD 组 AUCg 值较低（<0.0001），而 TD 组头发皮质醇较高（<0.0001）。
总之，NDDs 儿童 FGID 症状更多，内化和外化问题更高。与无 FGIDs 的儿童相比，患有 ADHD 和 FGIDs 的儿童内化问题更多。未发现应激相关生物标志物的差异可区分 NDDs 儿童是否存在 FGIDs。未来包括更多儿童的前瞻性研究可能阐明这些合并症的生物学途径。
