维生素D与孤独症谱系障碍的关系

孤独症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种复杂的与多个遗传和环境危险因素有关的神经发育障碍。过去几年遗传和环境因素间相互作用已成为研究的热点。最近提出了维生素D缺乏可能是ASD的一个环境危险因素。维生素D在维持大脑内稳态、促进胚胎和神经发育、免疫调节（包括大脑自身的免疫系统）、抗氧化、抗凋亡、影响神经分化及基因调控方面都有独特的作用。多项研究表明ASD患儿血清中维生素D浓度相比健康儿童存在显著降低。因此，母孕期和儿童早期缺乏维生素D可能是引起ASD的环境危险因素之一。

Relationship between vitamin D and autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors has become the subject of intensified research in the last several years. Vitamin D deficiency has recently been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD. Vitamin D has a unique role in brain homeostasis, embryogenesis and neurodevelopment, immunological modulation (including the brain''s immune system), antioxidation, antiapoptosis, neural differentiation and gene regulation. Children with ASD had significantly lower serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D than healthy children.Therefore vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood may be an environmental trigger for ASD.