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Association of Peripheral Blood Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor With Autism Spectrum Disorder in
Xiao-Yan Qin1, Jin-Chao Feng2, Chang Cao2
1Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing2Beijing Engineering Research Center of Food Environment and Health, Minzu University of China, Beijing.
Insights
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in peripheral blood compared to healthy controls. This finding supports an abnormal neurotrophic profile in ASD development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in neuronal development and function.
- Accumulating evidence suggests a potential link between BDNF and developmental outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis to determine if children with ASD exhibit altered peripheral blood levels of BDNF.
- To synthesize existing research on BDNF levels in children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, PsycycINFO, and Web of Science databases.
- Inclusion of 19 studies comparing BDNF levels in children with ASD and healthy controls.
- Random-effects meta-analysis to pool data and assess significance.
Main Results:
- Children with ASD demonstrated significantly higher peripheral blood BDNF levels compared to healthy controls (Hedges g = 0.490, P = .002).
- Subgroup analysis indicated elevated BDNF in non-neonates with ASD, particularly in serum, but not in neonates or plasma samples.
- Meta-regression suggested sample size moderated the findings in the non-neonatal group; no publication bias was detected.
Conclusions:
- The findings strengthen the evidence for an abnormal neurotrophic factor profile in children with ASD.
- Elevated peripheral BDNF levels in children with ASD may indicate altered neurodevelopmental pathways.
Importance:
Accumulating evidence suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be implicated in the developmental outcomes of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Objective:
To use meta-analysis to determine whether children with ASD have altered peripheral blood levels of BDNF.
Data Source:
A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science was performed for English-language literature through February 7, 2016. The search terms included brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF in combination with autism, without year restriction. Two additional records were retrieved after a review of the reference lists of selected articles.
Study Selection:
Studies were included if they provided data on peripheral blood levels of BDNF in children with ASD and healthy control children. Studies that included adults or with overlapping samples were excluded.
Data Extraction And Synthesis:
Data were extracted by 2 independent observers from 19 included studies. Data were pooled using a random-effects model with Comprehensive Meta-analysis software.
Main Outcomes And Measures:
Blood levels of BDNF in children with ASD compared with healthy controls. Altered levels of BDNF were hypothesized to be related to ASD.
Results:
This meta-analysis included 19 studies with 2896 unique participants. Random-effects meta-analysis of all 19 studies showed that children with ASD had significantly increased peripheral blood levels of BDNF compared with healthy controls (Hedges g, 0.490; 95% CI, 0.185-0.794; P = .002). Subgroup analyses in 4 studies revealed that neonates diagnosed with ASD later in life had no association with blood levels of BDNF (Hedges g, 0.384; 95% CI, -0.244 to 1.011; P = .23), whereas children in the nonneonate ASD group (15 studies) demonstrated significantly increased BDNF levels compared with healthy controls (Hedges g, 0.524; 95% CI, 0.206 to 0.842; P = .001). Further analysis showed that children in the nonneonate ASD group had increased BDNF levels in serum (10 studies) (Hedges g, 0.564; 95% CI, 0.168 to 0.960; P = .005) but not in plasma (5 studies) (Hedges g, 0.436; 95% CI, -0.176 to 1.048; P = .16). Meta-regression analyses revealed that sample size had a moderating effect on the outcome of the meta-analysis in the nonneonate group. In addition, no publication bias was found in the meta-analysis.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Children with ASD have increased peripheral blood levels of BDNF, strengthening the clinical evidence of an abnormal neurotrophic factor profile in this population.
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