Abstract:

Objective To investigate the association of T lymphocyte subsets and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels with the severity of tic symptoms and clinical types in Tic disorders (TD) children, and to analyze its clinical significance. Methods Clinical data of children with TD who attended one neurology clinic from June 2020 to June 2021 were collected. According to the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the children were divided into the mild TD group and the moderate to severe TD group. According to the DSM-V clinical classification standard, the TD group is divided into transient tic disorder group (TTD group), chronic exercise or vocal tic disorder group (CTD group), Tourette syndrome group (TS group). T lymphocyte subsets and NSE levels were compared between TD children and healthy children who underwent routine physical examination at the same time. Results A total of 180 TD children (TD group) were enrolled, including 141 boys and 39 girls, and the mean age was (7.3±2.3) years. There were 150 children (115 boys and 35 girls) in the control group, and the mean age was (7.4±2.2 years). The levels of CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in TD group were lower than those in the control group, and the NSE level in TD group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The differences in CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ and NSE levels between the mild TD group (n=73), the moderate to severe TD group (n=107) and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.05). The CD3⁺ level in the moderate to severe TD group was lower than that in the mild TD group and the control group, the NSE level in the moderate to severe TD group was higher than that in the mild TD group and the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The NSE levels were significantly positively correlated with TD severity (r=0.82, P<0.001). The differences in CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ and NSE levels between the TTD group (n=115), CTD group (n=42), TS group (n=23) and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in the TTD group, CTD group and TS group were lower than those in the control group, the NSE level was higher than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions T lymphocyte immunity disorder was found in TD children. The level of NSE increased, and the degree of elevation was related to the severity of the disease, but not to the clinical classification of the disease.

Key words: tic disorders, cellular immunity, neuron-specific enolase