Investigation of blood carnitine levels in hydrocephalus patients

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a complex neurological disorder that severely impacts the central nervous system. It is a multifactorial disease causing significant neurological deterioration and death in children. Despite numerous studies on hydrocephalus, its pathophysiology remains unclear. This study aims to identify possible changes in carnitine metabolism by comparing the carnitine profiles of children with hydrocephalus to those of healthy children. Additionally, the study seeks to determine the potential use of carnitine derivatives in the diagnosis and treatment of hydrocephalus. Blood samples from 32 hydrocephalic patients and 25 healthy individuals were analyzed. The carnitine profile (C0, C2, C4, etc.) was measured using LC-MS/MS. Statistical analyses of the data were performed using the MetaboAnalyst 5.0 program. The results showed that 23 carnitines were significantly lower in the hydrocephalus group compared to the control group. According to the MetaboAnalyst VIP score, C12 was identified as having high potential as a distinguishing marker. ROC analysis indicated that C12 had a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 80%. These findings suggest reduced carnitine profile with hydrocephalus pathology. Therefore, further research should be conducted to explore the addition of carnitine to hydrocephalus treatment protocols.