Autism Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Autism, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, effects.

Decreased serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor in male adults with high-functioning autism.

Sugihara G, Hashimoto K, Iwata Y, Nakamura K, Tsujii M, Tsuchiya KJ, Sekine Y, Suzuki K, Suda S, Matsuzaki H, Kawai M, Minabe Y, Yagi A, Takei N, Sugiyama T, Mori N

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of autism are currently unknown. Given the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in brain development, we hypothesized that HGF plays a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we studied whether serum HGF levels are altered in subjects with high-functioning autism. METHODS: Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we measured serum levels of HGF in 17 male adults with high-functioning autism and age-matched 18 male healthy subjects. RESULTS: The serum levels (503.5+/-160.5 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of HGF in the subjects with high-functioning autism were significantly (Mann-Whitney U=34.0, p<0.001) lower than those (817.6+/-232.4 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of control subjects. However, there were no correlations between serum HGF levels and clinical variables in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that reduced HGF levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of high-functioning autism.

Published 12 February 2007 in Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 31(2): 412-5.
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