Decreased serum levels of epidermal growth factor in adult subjects with high-functioning autism. |
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| Authors: | Katsuaki Suzuki Kenji Hashimoto Yasuhide Iwata Kazuhiko Nakamura Masatsugu Tsujii Kenji J Tsuchiya Yoshimoto Sekine Shiro Suda Genichi Sugihara Hideo Matsuzaki Toshiro Sugiyama Masayoshi Kawai Yoshio Minabe Nori Takei Norio Mori |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. |
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| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: The neurobiological basis for autism remains poorly understood. Given the role of growth factors in brain development, we hypothesized that epidermal growth factor (EGF) may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we examined whether serum levels of EGF are altered in adult subjects with high-functioning autism. METHODS: We measured serum levels of EGF in the 17 male subjects with high-functioning autism and 18 age-matched healthy male subjects. RESULTS: The serum levels of EGF in the subjects with high-functioning autism (72.4 +/- 102.8 pg/mL [mean +/- SD]) were significantly lower (Mann-Whitney U = 22.0, p < .001) than those of normal control subjects (322.3 +/- 122.0 pg/mL [mean +/- SD]). However, there were no correlations between serum EGF levels and clinical variables in the subjects with autism. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that decreased levels of EGF might be implicated in the pathophysiology of high-functioning autism. |
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| Keywords: | Autism developmental disorders ELISA epidermal growth factor growth factors human blood |
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