Abstract
AimsThere is a need for more biologic research in autistic disorder (AD) to determine if biomarkers exist that would be useful for correlating to symptom severity and/or clinical improvement during treatment. Given the fact that AD is 4 times more common in males than females, gender differences in physiological biomarkers may be present. One potential biomarker that has begun to be studied is brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a peptide involved in the regulation of neuronal cell survival, differentiation, and plasticity, and possessing an ability to influence neurotransmitter systems by modulating gene expression. This pilot study examined whether serum BDNF differed according to gender in children with AD and whether differences were associated with a behavioral phenotype or severity of illness.Study DesignData for this investigation were collected during the participants’ baseline visit of an intervention study. Participants were males (n=29) and females (n=7), aged 5 to 12 years diagnosed with AD. Baseline serum BDNF concentration was determined for comparison to clinical ratings using an autism severity measure and the Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Behavior Inventory (PDD-BI).ResultsBDNF serum concentrations were higher in females (p<0.049). The baseline BDNF value corresponded significantly to hyperactivity in females (p<0.0002) but not in males. BDNF did not correlate with severity of disease in either gender.ConclusionAlthough this is a small study, a better understanding of the central role of BDNF may provide insight into the pathophysiology of the disease and elucidate why gender differences exist in prevalence and behavioral phenotype of AD.
Highlights
Autistic Disorder (AD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in language and social interaction, as well as the presence of atypical or repetitive behaviors
Conclusion— this is a small study, a better understanding of the central role of Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) may provide insight into the pathophysiology of the disease and elucidate why gender differences exist in prevalence and behavioral phenotype of AD
Females showed a strong correlation between BDNF levels and hyperactivity (p=0.0002; n=7), while males did not show any significant correlation for these two markers (p=0.29; n=29)
Summary
Autistic Disorder (AD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in language and social interaction, as well as the presence of atypical or repetitive behaviors. Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity [2]. This small protein is found throughout the brain, CNS and in peripheral blood. BDNF is trophic for serotonergic neurons, a finding that may be associated with abnormal serotonin levels found in autism [7]. This pilot project was developed to better understand if gender differences in BDNF levels in children with AD might exist and to explore the relationship between serum BDNF levels and specific psychological and cognitive markers as well as severity of the disease
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