Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?

Down syndrome (DS), caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder. It leads to various complications including, cardiac and endocrine dysfunctions, impairment of the immune system, growth retardation, and certain neurological conditions. Stunted growth in this...

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Main Authors: Ghazaleh Sadeghi, Mohammad Hadi Farjoo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Brain Research Bulletin
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001297
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author Ghazaleh Sadeghi
Mohammad Hadi Farjoo
author_facet Ghazaleh Sadeghi
Mohammad Hadi Farjoo
author_sort Ghazaleh Sadeghi
collection DOAJ
description Down syndrome (DS), caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder. It leads to various complications including, cardiac and endocrine dysfunctions, impairment of the immune system, growth retardation, and certain neurological conditions. Stunted growth in this population might be linked to an increased risk of a variety of co-occurring conditions, particularly neurological disorders. Studies indicate that the levels of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation markers are higher in shorter children with DS. The disruption of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signalling pathway due to the overexpression of proinflammatory cytokine genes could help establish a connection between short stature and neurodegeneration in DS. These cytokines disrupt the production of IGF1 in the liver, thereby inhibiting IGF1 from promoting bone and brain growth. Additionally, elevated cytokines levels impair the production of sex hormones by affecting the gonadal axis, further exacerbating the aforementioned conditions. The group of GnRH neurons responsible for cognitive functions is also impaired in DS, and treatment with GnRH agonists has demonstrated improvements in cognition. Although GnRH agonists can delay the fusion of growth plates by inhibiting pulsatile GnRH secretion, they may also lead to cognitive impairments. Hypothyroidism, the most prevalent endocrine complication of DS, can also contribute to both cognitive impairment and short stature. In conclusion, the increase of proinflammatory cytokines, through various mechanisms, can play a significant role in the development of both cognitive impairments and short stature in DS.
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spelling doaj-art-adc7fd291c7f4d4d869f9bf462bcf4282025-08-20T03:41:01ZengElsevierBrain Research Bulletin1873-27472025-05-0122411131710.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111317Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?Ghazaleh Sadeghi0Mohammad Hadi Farjoo1Student Research Committee, School of medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of pharmacology, School of medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author.Down syndrome (DS), caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder. It leads to various complications including, cardiac and endocrine dysfunctions, impairment of the immune system, growth retardation, and certain neurological conditions. Stunted growth in this population might be linked to an increased risk of a variety of co-occurring conditions, particularly neurological disorders. Studies indicate that the levels of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation markers are higher in shorter children with DS. The disruption of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signalling pathway due to the overexpression of proinflammatory cytokine genes could help establish a connection between short stature and neurodegeneration in DS. These cytokines disrupt the production of IGF1 in the liver, thereby inhibiting IGF1 from promoting bone and brain growth. Additionally, elevated cytokines levels impair the production of sex hormones by affecting the gonadal axis, further exacerbating the aforementioned conditions. The group of GnRH neurons responsible for cognitive functions is also impaired in DS, and treatment with GnRH agonists has demonstrated improvements in cognition. Although GnRH agonists can delay the fusion of growth plates by inhibiting pulsatile GnRH secretion, they may also lead to cognitive impairments. Hypothyroidism, the most prevalent endocrine complication of DS, can also contribute to both cognitive impairment and short stature. In conclusion, the increase of proinflammatory cytokines, through various mechanisms, can play a significant role in the development of both cognitive impairments and short stature in DS.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001297Cognitive impairmentDown syndromeInflammatory cytokinesNeurodegenerationShort stature
spellingShingle Ghazaleh Sadeghi
Mohammad Hadi Farjoo
Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
Brain Research Bulletin
Cognitive impairment
Down syndrome
Inflammatory cytokines
Neurodegeneration
Short stature
title Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
title_full Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
title_fullStr Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
title_full_unstemmed Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
title_short Association of neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and short stature in Down syndrome; Could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor?
title_sort association of neurodegeneration cognitive impairment and short stature in down syndrome could proinflammatory cytokines be the common factor
topic Cognitive impairment
Down syndrome
Inflammatory cytokines
Neurodegeneration
Short stature
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001297
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