ArticleBMC psychiatry2023
Analysis of salivary steroid hormones in boys with autism spectrum disorder.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adrenarche, social cognition, and the development and evolution of autism spectrum traits.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Steroidopathies and hormonal imbalance in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.JCPP advances · 2026Article
- Microbiota-gut-brain axis and neuroendocrine pathways underlie divergent mechanisms of intermittent and continuous theta-burst stimulation in autism spectrum disorder.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Article
- Using endocrine profiles to explore subgroups among transdiagnostic neurodiverse children and adolescents.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2025Article
- Cntn4 Gene Deficiency Promotes Autism-Like Phenotypes Associated with Gut Microbiota Perturbations and Gut-Brain Axis Metabolomic Alterations in Mice.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Article
- The role of neuroactive steroids in psychiatric and neurological disorders: Neurobiology and therapeutic perspectives.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with high incidence rate and difficult diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to explore whether salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and pregnenolone can be used as biomarkers of ASD children.
methodsThe saliva samples of 55 boys with ASD were collected as the experimental group, and the saliva samples of 24 neurotypical boys were collected as the control group. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS) were used to assess the severity of symptoms in boys with ASD. Cortisol, DHEA and pregnenolone concentrations in saliva were measured using an ABSSCIEX QTRAP® 6500 + LC/MS/MS system. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis. Comparisons between the two groups which conform to normal distribution were performed by T-test, and those which don't conform to normal distribution were performed by Mann-Whitney U test. Correlation analysis between two variables was performed using Spearman's correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminatory sensitivity of each hormone between ASD and normal control groups. Logistic regression models were used to analyze whether DHEA and salivary pregnenolone can be used as a biomarker of ASD.
resultsThere were no significant differences in age, and weight between the ASD group and the normal control group. The ABC, SRS, RBS and CBCL scale scores in the ASD group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group. The salivary DHEA and pregnenolone concentrations in the ASD group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group, but there was no significant difference in cortisol. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that only pregnenolone associated with ABC. Logistic regression model analysis suggested that pregnenolone in saliva was an independent predictor of ASD. ROC analysis found that pregnenolone had good discrimination sensitivity between ASD and normal controls.
conclusionGave salivary preoperative a space for utilization as biomarker as number of cases are limited to this high expectation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.