ReviewBrain, behavior, & immunity - health2026
Autism and the gut metabolome: Evidence for altered short-chain fatty acid profiles from a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Brain, behavior, & immunity - health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Research Progress on Bidirectional Regulation of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on the Immune-Metabolic-Endocrine Interactive Network.Biomolecules · 2026Review
- Microbiome-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Tryptophan Metabolites in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Stool-Urine Multi-Omics Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates gut microbiome dysbiosis and its metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, individual study findings are inconsistent. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence comparing SCFA profiles between individuals with ASD and neurotypical controls. Methods: We comprehensively searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI databases from inception to December 1, 2024. Observational studies reporting quantitative SCFA measurements were included. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects models. Results: Sixteen studies (473 ASD cases, 514 controls) were included. Meta-analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity across studies for most SCFAs. Despite this, levels of valeric acid (SMD = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.23 to 1.29) and hexanoic acid (SMD = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.05 to 1.16) were significantly elevated in individuals with ASD. Isobutyric acid also showed a positive association (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.46) with lower heterogeneity. No significant overall differences were found for acetic, propionic, or butyric acids, but subgroup analyses indicated crucial variations based on sample source (e.g., fecal, plasma, urine). Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence for altered SCFA profiles in ASD, specifically elevated valeric and hexanoic acids and a consistent signal for isobutyric acid, suggesting gut microbial dysbiosis involving distinct metabolic pathways. The significant heterogeneity and sample-source-dependent effects highlight the complexity of the gut-brain axis in ASD and underscore the need for future research with standardized protocols and longitudinal designs to clarify the role of SCFAs.
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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.