Cytokine levels and associations with symptom severity in male and female children with autism spectrum disorder.
Anne Masi, Edmond J Breen, Gail A Alvares and 9 others
PMID 29214007WHAT IT FOUND
Lower blood levels of several cytokines were linked to more severe autism symptoms in girls, and a growth factor was linked to severity in boys.
Sleep and gut symptoms did not show the same pattern.
Key findings
01Lower plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-8, MIP-1β, PDGF-BB, and VEGF were associated with increased autism severity in females.
02Lower plasma levels of PDGF-BB were associated with increased autism severity in males.
03Cytokine levels did not interact with sleep scores or gastrointestinal symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
There was no healthy comparison group, so the study cannot say whether cytokine levels differ from typical development. The female group was much smaller than the male group, so sex differences need replication. Blood samples were taken after a single assessment, and possible undiagnosed comorbidities, allergies, or concurrent illness may have affected immune markers. The study tested many cytokines and clinical variables, so some associations may not hold in new samples.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read lower cytokine levels as proof that immune problems cause more severe autism or as a test to classify a child. The study measured associations in diagnosed children at a single time point and did not include a healthy control group.