Predictive efficiency of phoenixin, spexin and kisspeptin neuropeptides concentration levels in diagnosis of bipolar disorder in paediatric population.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess concentrations of the following neuropeptides: phoenixin, spexin and kisspeptin in venous blood serum of children and adolescents suffering from bipolar disorder, and by this their predictive efficiency in this disorder. The study covered 75 individuals with a mean age of 15.26 years (95% CI: 14.86-15.67), of which the study group comprised of 57 individuals diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and the control group - 18 individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis and no pharmacological treatment. Phoenixin, spexin and kisspeptin levels were determined in the peripheral venous blood serum. Neuropeptide concentrations were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean phoenixin concentration in the studied group equalled 1.57 ng/ml (95% CI: 1.35-1.79), while in the control group - 2.69 ng/ml (95% CI: 2.38-3; U Mann-Whitney test p-value < 0.05). For spexin, these results were 639.65 pg/ml (95% CI: 558.86-720.44) in the studied group, and 354.28 pg/ml (95% CI: 310.33-398.22; U Mann-Whitney test p-value < 0.05) in the control group. The observed differences were statistically significant. The mean concentration of kisspeptin levels in the studied group was 126.02 pg/ml (95% CI: 39.82-212.23; median: 59.85), while in the control group - 54.83 pg/ml (95% CI: 39.23-70.43; median: 51.3; U Mann-Whitney test p-value = 0.29), and the observed difference was not statistically significant. The occurrence of bipolar disorder symptoms is statistically significantly linked with a decreased phoenixin concentration and to a small degree - with an increased spexin concentration in blood serum of patients. However, it is not linked with the kisspeptin concentration.