Relation of ASC and IL-1beta with neurocognitive parameters in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (eng)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: It is now well accepted that inflammatory processes play a role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. NLRP3 inflammasome, which is formed by the combination of NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1 proteins, and its activator NEK7, takes part in these processes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers (i.e. IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP3 inflammasome protein levels) and cognitive functions in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: Forty-two patients between the ages of 18-45 who were diagnosed with OCD were included in the study. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) were used for clinical evaluations. In order to evaluate cognitive functions, Trail Making Test (TMT), Berg Card Sorting Test and Category Fluency Test were applied. IL-1β and IL-18 cytokine levels were determined by the ELISA method; measurement of the protein amounts of NLRP3, Caspase-1, ASC and NEK7 were performed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Serum IL-1β was negatively correlated with TMT (B-A) (rs=-.36, p= 0.019). Similarly, ASC was negatively correlated with TMT-B and TMT (B-A) (rs=-.38, p= 0.03; rs=-0.36, p = 0.04, respectively). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between other inflammatory parameters (NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-18) and neurocognitive tests. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that some aspects of neurocognitive impairment in patients with OCD might be related to neuroinflammatory processes, with implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of OCD.

Keywords

• ocd
• neuroinflammation
• nlrp3
• il-1beta
• neurocognition