TY - JOUR
T1 - Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers provide evidence for kidney-brain axis involvement in cerebral malaria pathogenesis
AU - Conroy, Andrea L.
AU - Datta, Dibyadyuti
AU - Opoka, Robert O.
AU - Batte, Anthony
AU - Bangirana, Paul
AU - Gopinadhan, Adnan
AU - Mellencamp, Kagan A.
AU - Akcan-Arikan, Ayse
AU - Idro, Richard
AU - John, Chandy C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Conroy, Datta, Opoka, Batte, Bangirana, Gopinadhan, Mellencamp, Akcan-Arikan, Idro and John.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Introduction: Cerebral malaria is one of the most severe manifestations of malaria and is a leading cause of acquired neurodisability in African children. Recent studies suggest acute kidney injury (AKI) is a risk factor for brain injury in cerebral malaria. The present study evaluates potential mechanisms of brain injury in cerebral malaria by evaluating changes in cerebrospinal fluid measures of brain injury with respect to severe malaria complications. Specifically, we attempt to delineate mechanisms of injury focusing on blood-brain-barrier integrity and acute metabolic changes that may underlie kidney-brain crosstalk in severe malaria. Methods: We evaluated 30 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and brain injury in 168 Ugandan children aged 18 months to 12 years hospitalized with cerebral malaria. Eligible children were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and had unexplained coma. Acute kidney injury (AKI) on admission was defined using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. We further evaluated blood-brain-barrier integrity and malaria retinopathy, and electrolyte and metabolic complications in serum. Results: The mean age of children was 3.8 years (SD, 1.9) and 40.5% were female. The prevalence of AKI was 46.3% and multi-organ dysfunction was common with 76.2% of children having at least one organ system affected in addition to coma. AKI and elevated blood urea nitrogen, but not other measures of disease severity (severe coma, seizures, jaundice, acidosis), were associated with increases in CSF markers of impaired blood-brain-barrier function, neuronal injury (neuron-specific enolase, tau), excitatory neurotransmission (kynurenine), as well as altered nitric oxide bioavailability and oxidative stress (p < 0.05 after adjustment for multiple testing). Further evaluation of potential mechanisms suggested that AKI may mediate or be associated with CSF changes through blood-brain-barrier disruption (p = 0.0014), ischemic injury seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy (p < 0.05), altered osmolality (p = 0.0006) and through alterations in the amino acids transported into the brain. Conclusion: In children with cerebral malaria, there is evidence of kidney-brain injury with multiple potential pathways identified. These changes were specific to the kidney and not observed in the context of other clinical complications.
AB - Introduction: Cerebral malaria is one of the most severe manifestations of malaria and is a leading cause of acquired neurodisability in African children. Recent studies suggest acute kidney injury (AKI) is a risk factor for brain injury in cerebral malaria. The present study evaluates potential mechanisms of brain injury in cerebral malaria by evaluating changes in cerebrospinal fluid measures of brain injury with respect to severe malaria complications. Specifically, we attempt to delineate mechanisms of injury focusing on blood-brain-barrier integrity and acute metabolic changes that may underlie kidney-brain crosstalk in severe malaria. Methods: We evaluated 30 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and brain injury in 168 Ugandan children aged 18 months to 12 years hospitalized with cerebral malaria. Eligible children were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and had unexplained coma. Acute kidney injury (AKI) on admission was defined using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. We further evaluated blood-brain-barrier integrity and malaria retinopathy, and electrolyte and metabolic complications in serum. Results: The mean age of children was 3.8 years (SD, 1.9) and 40.5% were female. The prevalence of AKI was 46.3% and multi-organ dysfunction was common with 76.2% of children having at least one organ system affected in addition to coma. AKI and elevated blood urea nitrogen, but not other measures of disease severity (severe coma, seizures, jaundice, acidosis), were associated with increases in CSF markers of impaired blood-brain-barrier function, neuronal injury (neuron-specific enolase, tau), excitatory neurotransmission (kynurenine), as well as altered nitric oxide bioavailability and oxidative stress (p < 0.05 after adjustment for multiple testing). Further evaluation of potential mechanisms suggested that AKI may mediate or be associated with CSF changes through blood-brain-barrier disruption (p = 0.0014), ischemic injury seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy (p < 0.05), altered osmolality (p = 0.0006) and through alterations in the amino acids transported into the brain. Conclusion: In children with cerebral malaria, there is evidence of kidney-brain injury with multiple potential pathways identified. These changes were specific to the kidney and not observed in the context of other clinical complications.
KW - acute kidney injury
KW - blood-brain-barrier
KW - brain injury
KW - cerebral malaria
KW - cerebrospinal fluid
KW - pediatrics
KW - uremia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85159887114&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1177242
DO - 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1177242
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85159887114
SN - 1662-5161
VL - 17
JO - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
M1 - 1177242
ER -