Redox Profile, Inflammatory, and Cardiac Autonomic Nervous Activity of Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis

Objective Compare the cardiometabolic profile of children and adolescents carrying cystic fibrosis with congeneres without the presence of this disease. Methods Cross-sectional, case-control study with 12 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and 12 in the control group (CONT), aged between 5 and 18 years. Blood collection was performed to evaluation of markers of oxidative stress were evaluated: total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) andinflammation: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukins (IL), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17a, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Heart rate variability was evaluated by an elastic strap with a Bluetooth® heart rate transmitter. Results The average age was 11.7 ± 4.5 years in the CF group and 12.5 ± 4.2 years in the CONT group (p = 0,68). MDA was significantly elevated in the CF group (CF: 3.8 ± 1.4µM vs CONT: 2.8 ± 0.3µM, p = 0.03), while CAOx concentration was lower (CF: 33.0 ± 4.3% vs CONT: 45.3 ± 13.6%, p = 0.01). CRP (CF: 4.6 ± 5.6 vs CONT: 0.6 ± 0.7, p = 0.03), IL-6 (CF: 53.0 ± 47.3 vs CONT: 25.1 ± 43.8, p = 0.02), and IL-17 (CF: 89.3 ± 53.3 vs CONT: 41.4 ± 42.5, p = 0.03) were significantly elevated in the CF group. Time-domain variables were lower in CF group: SDNN (CF: 51.8 ± 24.4ms vs CONT: 88.6 ± 31.1ms, p = 0.04), RMSD (CF: 40.7 ± 20.8ms vs CONT: 67.7 ± 34.2ms, p = 0.02), pNN50 (CF: 20.0 ± 16.3% vs CONT: 35.0 ± 19.1%, p = 0.03); in the frequency domain, only LF was lower (CF: 1061.5 ± 1335.2ms² vs CONT: 2979.9 ± 4896.3ms², p = 0.04). Conclusion Children and adolescents, carriers of CF show important physiological disturbance, expressed by significanthigher oxidative stress, systemic inflammation (CRP, IL-6, IL-17a), and reduced sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Clinical trial: RBR-96d3pv. Registration date: 04/03/2024.