Decreased serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 in patients with autism.
BACKGROUND
The neurobiological basis for autism remains poorly understood. Given the key role of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in brain development, we hypothesized that TGF-beta1 plays a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we studied whether serum levels of TGF-beta1 are altered in patients with autism.


METHODS
We measured serum levels of TGF-beta1 in 19 male adult patients with autism and 21 age-matched male healthy subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The serum levels (7.34+/-5.21 ng/mL (mean+/-S.D.)) of TGF-beta1 in the patients with autism were significantly (z=-5.106, p<0.001) lower than those (14.48+/-1.64 ng/mL (mean+/-S.D.)) of normal controls. However, there were no marked or significant correlations between serum TGF-beta1 levels and other clinical variables, including Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) scores, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), aggression, Theory of Mind, and Intellectual Quotient (IQ) in patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that decreased levels of TGF-beta1 may be implicated in the pathophysiology of autism.
Okada
Kyoko
K
Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan.
Hashimoto
Kenji
K
Iwata
Yasuhide
Y
Nakamura
Kazuhiko
K
Tsujii
Masatsugu
M
Tsuchiya
Kenji J
KJ
Sekine
Yoshimoto
Y
Suda
Shiro
S
Suzuki
Katsuaki
K
Sugihara
Gen-ichi
G
Matsuzaki
Hideo
H
Sugiyama
Toshiro
T
Kawai
Masayoshi
M
Minabe
Yoshio
Y
Takei
Nori
N
Mori
Norio
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D003193:Compulsive Personality Disorder; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1