Serotonin levels in children with cognitive impairment in delayed speech development in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with obesity and Covid-19.

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To identify features of changes in serum serotonin and tryptophan levels in children with cognitive impairment (CI) and delayed speech development (DSD) at non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and COVID-19.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Materials and

Methods

The study included 108 children with CI and DSD at NAFLD. The children were divided into 2 groups: group 1 included children with COVID-19 (n=58); group 2 consisted of 50 children without COVID-19.

RESULTS

Results

All the examined children were diagnosed the weight gain and NAFLD (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), mainly of minimal to moderate activity. The results indicate a decrease of serotonin and tryptophan levels in the examined children with CI and DSD and NAFLD. However, in children of group 1 (after COVID-19), the level of ST was 2.4 times (p-value <0.01) higher than in children of group 2. Tryptophan levels were also 1.4 times higher in children from group 1 (p-value <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Conclusions

In children with CI and DSD at NAFLD, a decrease in serum levels of ST and Trp was diagnosed, which is more pronounced after COVID-19. A direct relationship between the decrease in serum Trp and serotonin levels has been established, which directly depends on the functional state of the liver and negatively correlates with the severity of insulin resistance.