MCP-1 Is Elevated in the Cerebral Fluid of Children With Tourette Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review

Purpose

This study aims to investigate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) to identify the role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of TS.

Methods

We retrospectively reported cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination in four male adolescents diagnosed with severe TS, as indicated by a high Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) score. The examination included routine and biochemical tests, oligoclonal band testing, and analysis of 14 neural autoantibodies. Furthermore, the levels of 34 cytokines were also measured.

Findings

CSF examinations revealed that routine and biochemical tests were normal and that no oligoclonal bands were detected. The 14 neural autoantibodies tested were negative. Among the 34 cytokines analyzed, only monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were significantly elevated.

Conclusions

This study is the first to report elevated levels of MCP-1 in the CSF of patients with TS. Our findings suggest that MCP-1-associated neuroinflammation may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of TS, indicating that targeting MCP-1 could be a promising therapeutic approach to managing symptoms of TS.