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Serum levels of SOD and risk of autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study
Lixuan Wang1, Jianpu Jia1, Junling Zhang1
1No. 2 Department of Neurology, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou 061001, China.
Insights
Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels are significantly lower in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Lower SOD levels indicate increased risk and can serve as an independent diagnostic indicator for ASD in children.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder with unclear origins.
- Oxidative stress is increasingly recognized as a potential factor in ASD pathophysiology.
- Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a key antioxidant enzyme and a marker of oxidative stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical significance of serum SOD levels in children with ASD.
- To determine if serum SOD levels can serve as a biomarker for ASD diagnosis and severity.
Main Methods:
- Assessed serum SOD levels in 96 children with ASD and 96 typically developing controls (ages 2-6).
- Measured SOD via colorimetry and ASD severity using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS).
- Employed conditional logistic regression to analyze SOD's influence on ASD, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Children with ASD had significantly lower median serum SOD levels (146 U/ml) compared to controls (180 U/ml).
- SOD levels correlated inversely with ASD severity (r=-0.432, P<0.0001).
- Serum SOD was an independent predictor of ASD (OR 0.955), with a cutoff of 160 U/ml showing 84.7% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Decreased serum SOD levels are implicated in the pathophysiology of autism in Chinese children.
- Reduced serum SOD can function as an independent risk indicator for diagnosing ASD.
- These findings highlight the potential role of oxidative stress in autism and suggest SOD as a valuable biomarker.
Background:
Autism is a severe developmental disorder with poorly understood etiology. This study examined the clinical significance of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, a marker of oxidative stress, in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically-developing children between the ages of 2 and 6 years.
Methods:
Ninety-six children diagnosed with ASD and 96 sex and age matched typically-developing children were assessed for serum levels of SOD at admission. S0D were assayed by colorimetry, and severity of ASD was evaluated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Score. The influence of serum SOD levels on ASD was performed by conditional logistic regression analysis, which allows adjustment for confounding factors.
Results:
The median serum SOD levels were significantly (P<0.001) lower in children with ASD as compared to typically-developing children [146 (IQR: 133-165) U/ml and 180 (168-199) U/ml, respectively]. Levels of SOD increased with decreasing severity of ASD as defined by the CARS score (r=-0.432, P<0.0001). After adjusting for all other possible covariates, SOD remained can be seen as an independent indictor of ASD with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.955 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.942-0.969; P<0.001). Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the optimal cutoff value of serum level of SOD as an indicator for auxiliary diagnosis of ASD was projected to be 160U/ml, which yielded a sensitivity of 84.7% and a specificity of 71.4%, with the area under the curve at 0.811 (95%CI, 0.747-0.874).
Conclusions:
Our data suggests that the decreased serum SOD levels could be implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of autism in Chinese children and can be used as an independent risk indicator of ASD.
