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. 2017 Jul 13:8:126.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00126. eCollection 2017.

Alterations of Growth Factors in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Alma Y Galvez-Contreras  1   2 , Tania Campos-Ordonez  3   4 , Rocio E Gonzalez-Castaneda  1 , Oscar Gonzalez-Perez  3   5
Affiliations

Alterations of Growth Factors in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Alma Y Galvez-Contreras et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Growth factors (GFs) are cytokines that regulate the neural development. Recent evidence indicates that alterations in the expression level of GFs during embryogenesis are linked to the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this concise review, we summarize the current evidence that supports the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor 2, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophins 3 and 4, and epidermal growth factor in the pathogenesis of ADHD and ASD. We also highlight the potential use of these GFs as clinical markers for diagnosis and prognosis of these neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; biomarker; cerebral cortex; cognitive impairment; cytokines; developmental disorders; growth factors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothetical model of growth-factor expression in the human brain based on data obtained in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/autism spectrum disorder (ASD) animal models. The table shows the blood levels of growth factors (GF) found in patients with ADHD or ASD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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