Evaluation of serum neudesin and bdnf levels in children between 6 months and 3 years with vitamin B12 deficiency

Introduction and Objectives Vitamin B12 (B12) is an essential vitamin required for cell division and growth, and plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system, DNA and RNA synthesis, and myelination. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes disorders in neurocognitive functions especially in the first 3 years of age, when brain development continues. Neudesin (neuron-derived neurotrophic factor; NENF) is a neurotrophic factor belonging to the membrane-associated progesterone receptor (MAPR) family, which is primarily secreted from the central nervous system and plays a role in neuron differentiation and survival. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein belonging to the neurotrophin family, which plays a critical role in cognitive functions and memory, controls the development of neurons and glial cells, and has a function in neuroprotection. Many studies show that NENF and BDNF are critical factors for neuronal development and function. The aim of this study is to compare serum neudesin and BDNF levels between children with vitamin B12 deficiency and normal vitamin B12 levels and to examine whether there is a relationship between vitamin B12 and neudesin and BDNF, which are both effective in the development and maintenance of the central and peripheral nervous system. Material and Method As the study group, 26 children aged between 6 months and 3 years with vitamin B12 deficiency (<300 ng/L) who applied to Bezmialem Vakıf University Child Health and Diseases Clinic between 01.03.2023 and 01.06.2023 were included. The control group consisted of 26 age- and sex-matched children with normal serum vitamin B12 levels (≥300 ng/L). Children with any chronic disease (malabsorption, Celiac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, metabolic diseases, etc.) and who were not between 6 months and 3 years of age were excluded from the study. Written informed consent was taken from the parents. Venous blood samples taken into biochemistry tubes from the study and control groups were studied in the Medical Biochemistry Research Laboratory according to the protocol of the neudesin and BDNF kits. Statistical analyzes were performed with R software (version 4.2.0). Results No significant difference was found between the mean neudesin and BDNF levels of patients with low vitamin B12 levels and the mean neudesin and BDNF levels of patients with normal vitamin B12 levels (p=0.604, p=0.266). When evaluated for all patients, a weak negative correlation was found between age and BDNF (r=-0.41, p<0.05). When evaluated for patients with low vitamin B12 levels, a moderate negative correlation was found between age and BDNF (r=-0.52, p<0.05). There was a weak positive correlation between weight percentile and BDNF (r=0.41, p<0.05). Conclusion There are various studies in the literature examining the effect of neudesin and BDNF on neurons. However, there is no study showing whether there is a relationship between vitamin B12 and these neurotrophins in childhood. Our findings suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency does not significantly affect serum neudesin and BDNF levels and is not different from controls. However, due to the physiological roles of these neurotrophins and their potential agents for therapeutic strategy, more intensive studies are required in clinical practice. In this sense, our study will be a pioneer in terms of new studies with wider participation. Key words: Vitamin B12, neudesin, BDNF, neurotrophic factor