title: Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein Dysfunction May Contribute to Memory Disorder and Earlier Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore a possible role for activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated (Arc/Arg3.1) protein in the clinical identification of children with autism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plasma levels of Arc/Arg3.1 in 62 boys with autism and 32 healthy boys were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was used to assess the severity of autism as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between children with autism and healthy children. The Spearman r correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the relationship between the CARS scores among patients with autism and different variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean plasma level of Arc/Arg3.1 protein in autism was 1.689 ± 0.917 pg/ml, significantly higher than that of healthy controls, i.e. 0.792 ± 1.056 pg/ml (p < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between plasma levels of Arc/Arg3.1 protein and CARS scores (r = -0.06; p > 0.05) or age (r = -0.27; p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean plasma level of Arc/Arg3.1 protein was higher in children with autism than in controls, suggesting that Arc/Arg3.1 could be a potential early blood biomarker for diagnosis of autism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman Mohammed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alhowikan
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C092069:activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein