Research Reveals Overlapping Immune Traits Between Children with Autism and Their Siblings
New Slovakian research has explored plasma cytokine levels in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their neurotypical siblings to understand better immune system differences and the potential role of cytokines as biomarkers for ASD. The team behind this study analyzed 20 cytokines in 40 children with ASD (average age 7.11) and 21 neurotypical siblings (average age 7.38). They found that elevated plasma levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of an ASD diagnosis, with an odds ratio of 4.35. Despite this difference, the overall cytokine profiles of children with ASD and their siblings were remarkably similar, suggesting shared immune system characteristics. These findings underscore the need for careful selection of control groups in ASD research, as using siblings as controls may obscure critical differences compared to unrelated neurotypical individuals. This research has important implications for future studies aiming to identify reliable immune biomarkers for ASD.
