title: Biomarkers in autism.
abstract: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex, heterogeneous disorders caused by an interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. In an effort to better target the underlying roots of ASD for diagnosis and treatment, efforts to identify reliable biomarkers in genetics, neuroimaging, gene expression, and measures of the body's metabolism are growing. For this article, we review the published studies of potential biomarkers in autism and conclude that while there is increasing promise of finding biomarkers that can help us target treatment, there are none with enough evidence to support routine clinical use unless medical illness is suspected. Promising biomarkers include those for mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and immune function. Genetic clusters are also suggesting the potential for useful biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil.
authors.forename: Andre A S
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Goldani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Downs
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Widjaja
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hendren
keywords: autism spectrum disorders; biomarker; epigenetics; genetics; neuroimaging; treatment targets