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Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood-onset psychiatric disease, characterised by excessive overactivity, inattention and impulsiveness. It is suggested that prefrontal dopamine deficiency and central dopaminergic dysfunction could be the main factors for ADHD, but the mechanism of this deficiency and dysfunction and so the etiopathology of the disease is not fully understood. Although it is showed that inşammatory processes are involved in neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and Parkinson’s disease, the studies for ADHD are very limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there are associations between ADHD and changes in serum levels of serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecules (s-ICAMs), which have an important role in inşammatory diseases. We also measured the levels of these molecules after treatment with oros-methylphenidate.
Method: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV-TR criteria and eighteen healthy volunteer controls were included in this study. The levels of sICAMs were measured in the serum of the patients and healthy volunteers by ELISA kit as described.
Results: The levels of ICAM-1 and ICAM-2 were significantly higher in patients compared with controls. The level of ICAM-1 was decreased in treated group, but this decrease was not significant. ICAM-2 levels decreased significantly after treatment by oros-methylphenidate compared with untreated group.
Conclusion: This is the first study pointing out the relationship between ICAM molecules and ADHD. ICAM-1 and 2, the molecules involved in inşammatory processes, are associated with ADHD. The changes in sICAM-2 level may have a therapeutic value in ADHD treatment