Neuroinflammatory markers in patients with haemophilia and healthy controls: Where are the differences?

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionPeople with haemophilia (PwH) suffer from haemophilic arthropathy which is accompanied by acute and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to examine the neuroinflammatory network operative in PwH and to compare it to healthy controls.Material and MethodsBlood samples were collected from 41 PwH (age 54.7 ± 11.7 years) and 33 healthy controls (age 50.9 ± 10.5 years) and the levels of 13 neuroinflammatory markers were analyzed by applying an antibody‐based detection kit in a flow cytometer.ResultsFrom 13 analyzed markers, three—ß‐nerve growth factor (ß‐NGF), soluble receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (sRAGE) and Interleukin‐18 (IL‐18) differed significantly between the groups (ß‐NGF p = .045; sRAGE p = .003; IL‐18 p = .007). While ß‐NGF was downregulated in PwH, sRAGE and IL‐18 were upregulated. None of the analyzed markers corelated to the joint status of PwH while CCL2 (C‐C motif ligand 2 chemokine) correlated to HIV infections in PwH (r = .313, p = .007). Correlation analyses of the markers studied also revealed many differences between PwH and controls suggesting a number of deregulations in PwH.ConclusionThe altered levels of sRAGE and ß‐NGF in PwH, which have not been analyzed in PwH before, may help to understand the neuroinflammatory network operative in PwH. The general inflammatory processes in PwH and the involved biomarkers in PwH remain poorly understood. PwH could benefit from new therapies against neuroinflammation which may help to reduce inflammation or also chronic pain.