Salivary Biomarkers for Early Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Single-Neuron Correlates of Atypical Face Processing in Autism

To explore the application of the combined use of baseline salivary biomarkers and clinical parameters in predicting the outcome of scaling and root planing (SRP). Forty patients with advanced periodontitis were included. Baseline saliva samples were analysed for interleukin-1β (IL-1β), matrix metalloproteinase-8 and the loads of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Tannerella forsythia. After SRP, pocket closure and further attachment loss at 6months post-treatment were chosen as outcome variables. Models to predict the outcomes were established by generalized estimating equations. The combined use of baseline clinical attachment level (CAL), site location and IL-1β (area under the curve [AUC]=0.764) better predicted pocket closure than probing depth (AUC=0.672), CAL (AUC=0.679), site location (AUC=0.654) or IL-1β (AUC=0.579) alone. The combination of site location, tooth loss, percentage of deep pockets, detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. forsythia load (AUC=0.842) better predicted further clinical attachment loss than site location (AUC=0.715), tooth loss (AUC=0.530), percentage of deep pockets (AUC=0.659) or T. forsythia load (AUC=0.647) alone. The combination of baseline salivary biomarkers and clinical parameters better predicted SRP outcomes than each alone. The current study indicates the possible usefulness of salivary biomarkers in addition to tooth-related parameters in predicting SRP outcomes.

Anxiety–Amygdala Associations: Novel Insights From the First Longitudinal Study of Autistic Youth With Distinct Anxiety

Vitamin D and Atopy

The promise of precision medicine in autism

Come Play With Me

Inherited and De Novo Genetic Risk for Autism Impacts Shared Networks.

The role of inflammation and oxidative stress in the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders is under debate. We investigated the redox metabolism in a non-diabetic obesity model, i.e. 11-week-old obese Zucker rats. Antioxidant enzyme activities, lipophilic antioxidant (alpha-tocopherol, coenzymes Q) and hydrophilic antioxidant (glutathione, vitamin C) contents and their redox state (% oxidized form), were studied in inguinal white fat and compared with blood and liver. The adipose tissues of obese animals showed a specific higher content of hydrophilic molecules in a lower redox state than those of lean animals, which were associated with lower lipophilic molecule content and lipid peroxidation. Conversely and as expected, glutathione content decreased and its redox state increased in adipose tissues of rats subjected to lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic oxidative stress. In these in vivo models, oxidative stress and obesity thus had opposite effects on adipose tissue redox state. Moreover, the increase in glutathione content and the decrease of its redox state by antioxidant treatment promoted in vitro the accumulation of triglycerides in preadipocytes. Taken together and contrary to the emergent view, our results suggest that obesity is associated with an intracellular reduced redox state that promotes on its own the development of a deleterious proadipogenic process.

SOD2 in platelets: with age comes responsibility

Over a half of all proteins are glycosylated, and their proper glycosylation is essential for normal function. Unfortunately, because of structural complexity of nonlinear branched glycans and the absence of genetic template for their synthesis, the knowledge about glycans is lagging significantly behind the knowledge about proteins or DNA. Using a recently developed quantitative high throughput glycan analysis method we quantified components of the plasma N-glycome in 99 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 81 child and 5 adults with autism spectrum disorder, and a total of 340 matching healthy controls. No changes in plasma glycome were found to associate with autism spectrum disorder, but several highly significant associations were observed with ADHD. Further structural analysis of plasma glycans revealed that ADHD is associated with increased antennary fucosylation of biantennary glycans and decreased levels of some complex glycans with three or four antennas. The design of this study prevented any functional conclusions about the observed associations, but specific differences in glycosylation appears to be strongly associated with ADHD and warrants further studies in this direction.

Pregnancy and early childhood are periods with high plasticity in neurological development. Environmental perturbations during these sensitive windows can have lifelong developmental consequences. This review summarizes key findings relevant to the effects of air pollution on neurological development. Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution, both during pregnancy and childhood, is associated with childhood developmental outcomes ranging from changes in brain structures to subclinical deficits in developmental test scores, and, ultimately, developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Although the biological mechanisms of effects remain to be elucidated, multiple pathways are probably involved and include oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or endocrine disruption. Given the alarming global increase in developmental disorders in recent years, and increased human exposures to pollution, it is critical to reduce personal and community-level exposures through tight collaboration of interdisciplinary and multi-level bodies including community partners, physicians, industry partners, policy makers, public health practitioners, and researchers. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Exposure to air pollution is associated with a range of childhood developmental complications. Biological mechanisms may include oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption.

Pten and the Brain: Sizing up Social Interaction

Genome-wide Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Functional Impact of Rare De Novo and Recurrent CNVs in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Managing insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder

Advances in clinical and molecular understanding of the FMR1 premutation and fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome