Interferons and cerebral palsy

Objective: To explore the association of neonatal interferons (IFNs) with s pastic cerebral palsy (CP) and with other measured substances. Study design: Assays of archived neonatal blood of 31 predominantly term ch ildren with CP and 65 children in a control group were obtained by recyclin g immunoaffinity chromatography with laser-enhanced fluorescence and chemil uminescence detection. Results: Fourteen of 31 children with spastic CP had concentrations of IFNs -alpha, beta, and gamma exceeding any control. Levels of interleukins-1 6, 8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, chemokines, colony stimulating factors, tra nsforming growth factor-beta, complement components and regulators, certain neuropeptides, and thyroid hormones also differed from control levels in t hese 14 children. The 17 children with CP whose IFN concentrations were wit hin the control range had levels of inflammatory cytokines higher than but near to control values; 13 of these 17 had values for coagulation factors t hat exceeded control values. Seven of 9 children with spastic diplegia had high IFNs, and 8 of 10 hemiplegic children had normal IFNs. Conclusion: Neonatal IFNs exceeding control concentrations were associated with other biochemical and clinical indicators of inflammation and with spa stic diplegia. In these children with CP, IFNs within the control range wer e associated with concentrations of other inflammatory markers that were ne ar to control values and with spastic hemiplegia.