Abstract
The S100 calcium-binding protein beta subunit (S100B) protein, which mostly exists in the central nervous system, is commonly noted as a marker of neuronal damage. We conducted the first systematic review with meta-analysis to compare peripheral blood S100B levels in individuals with ASD with those in healthy controls. A systematic search was carried out for studies published before May 5, 2020. In total, this meta-analysis involved ten studies with 822 participants and 451 cases. The meta-analysis revealed that individuals with ASD had higher peripheral blood S100B levels than healthy controls [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.97, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.41–1.53; p < 0.001]. Peripheral blood S100B levels may have potential as a useful biomarker for ASD.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises neurodevelopmental disorders specified by stereotypic behaviour, limited social interaction, and impaired communication
We systematically reviewed studies investigating the correlation between peripheral blood S100B levels and ASD
The results showed that individuals with ASD had higher peripheral blood S100B levels than healthy controls [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.41–1.53; p < 0.001] but with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 93%, p < 0.001) (Fig. 2)
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises neurodevelopmental disorders specified by stereotypic behaviour, limited social interaction, and impaired communication. ASD is correlated with mental diseases such as anxiety and schizophrenia (Lai et al 2019; Zheng et al 2018) but is not correlated with medical diseases such as allergies and asthma (Lyall et al 2015; Zheng et al 2016a) This complexity has spurred a search for biomarkers that can provide early diagnosis and predict treatment response. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2021) 51:2569–2577 indicated that peripheral blood S100B levels can rule out central nervous system damage which was measured by magnetic resonance imaging in patients (Moss et al 2020; Thompson et al 2016). Other studies have found that there is no correlation between peripheral blood S100B levels and ASD (Esnafoglu et al 2017; Ma et al 2019). The studies were evaluated as high (scored 7–9), medium (scored 4–6), or low (scored 0–3) quality
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