Serum Occludin and Zonulin Levels in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Healthy Controls

Objective To evaluate zonulin and occludin levels, potentially associated with immunological pathways in the gut-brain axis, in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method We examined the association between serum levels of zonulin and occluding, and behavioral/emotional problems in children with ADHD. 40 medication-naïve children meeting Diagnostic and statistical (DSM-5) criteria for ADHD (11 females; mean (SD) age 9.4 (1.6) years) and 39 healthy comparisons (12 females; mean (SD) age 9.3 (1.9) years) were studied. Serum zonulin and occludin levels were measured by (ELISA). Result We found higher mean (SD) serum zonulin levels [37.1 (28.2) vs 8.1 (4.5) ng/mL; P