29993
Cytokine Alterations on Clinical Characteristics in Chinese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which genetics, together with environmental risk factor play a key aetiological role. Multiple evidence indicates a link between immune dysfunction and ASD. However, few data showed the relationships between cytokine level and clinical characteristics of Chinese ASD patients.
Objectives:
To investigate cytokines alterations in Chinese ASD children with regression and allergy.
Methods:
We reanalyzed our previously published data for case-control study. ASD children who were diagnosed and qualified for the inclusion criteria were recruited in the research as experimental group, typically developing children from a Kindergarten and early childhood education center as control group. Research method: 11 cytokines plasma levels were measured according to Miliplex BMS protocol. The clinical characteristics of ASD group: We recorded the medical history including regression and allergy.
Results:
The cohort included 65(55 male) ASD children and 42(28 male) TD children, aged 19 to 79 months.
1)The results of plasma cytokine levels showed: Plasma TNFα and Eotaxin levels were significantly higher in ASD group (TNFα: median 16.26, range 6.89–28.45pg/mL, P =0.016; Eotaxin: 72.18, 23.87–490.69pg/mL, P=0.045)than in TD group(TNFα: 14.19, range 7.40–25.21pg/mL, P =0.016; Eotaxin:55.72, 19.24-170.94pg/mL). There was a trend for Plasma TGF-β1(ASD: 5337.0, 931.67–34107.0pg/mL; TD: 2680.0, 574.08–18194.0pg/mL, P = 0.066).TGF-β1 was significantly increased in ASD male group than TD group(ASD: 5411.0, 931.67–34107.0pg/mL; TD: 2681.0, 838.28–16695.0pg/mL, P = 0.033).
2) 17 of 65 ASD children had regression. Compared with ASD children with no regression(ASDnr) and TD children, ASD children who had regression(ASDr) had higher trend for plasma TGF-β1(ASDr:7359.0, 1164.0–24649.0pg/mL; ASDnr:3413.0, 931.67–34107.0pg/mL; TD:2680.0, 574.08– 18194.0pg/mL, P=0.070) and Eotaxin (ASDr:72.42, 23.87–490.69pg/mL;ASDnr:71.0, 23.87–192.31pg/mL; TD: 55.72, 19.24-170.94pg/mL, P=0.056). For male, the increase of TGF-β1 was most significant in ASDr, almost three-fold higher than TD (ASDr:7359.0, 1164.0–24649.0pg/mL; ASDnr:4452.0, 931.67–34107.0pg/mL; TD: 2681.0, 838.28– 16695.0pg/mL,P=0.039).
3)Since we did not have data of TD children for allergic history, we compared cytokines of ASD children with allergy (ASDa: 29/65) and non-allergy (ASDna: 36/65). Compared to ASDna, ASDa showed higher TNFα level (ASDa:17.14, 6.89–26.60pg/mL; ASDna:15.6, 7.93–28.45pg/mL, P =0.038).
Conclusions:
The pilot findings showed that TGF-β1,TNFα and Eotaxin may have associations with neurodevelopment progression of children, especially in boys. TGF-β1 and TNFα may have potential role in the mechanism of regression and allergy in ASD in Chinese population.