Biomarkers in autism spectrum disorders: Current progress

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social interaction and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. As the etiology and pathogenesis of the disorder have not yet been elucidated, specific treatment and reliable diagnostic biomarkers are not available. Early behavioral interventions have been shown to substantially improve symptoms in children with ASD. Given the rapidly increasing prevalence of ASD, there is an urgent need to identify related diagnostic biomarkers. Although specific diagnostic markers for ASD have not been identified, the related research has made progress in different aspects. This review summarizes recent findings of the use of genes, proteins, peptides, and metabolites as diagnostic markers for ASD. The associated techniques include genetic testing and proteomic and metabolomic analyses. In addition, some studies have focused on single or several proteins and metabolites. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis, immune disturbances and cytokine may also be used for this purpose. The pathogenesis involving genes, proteins, and metabolites is also discussed here.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Biomarker; Genetic testing; Metabolomics; Proteomics.