ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026
Concurrent Assessment of Neurotrophic Factors and HPA-Axis Hormones in Early Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeNeurotrophic pathways and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation have been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet peripheral findings-particularly in early childhood-remain inconsistent. We examined peripheral neurotrophic factors and HPA-axis hormones in medication-naïve young children with ASD and evaluated their associations with clinical severity.
methodsThis cross-sectional study included 45 medication-naïve children with ASD (18-72 months) and 52 age-matched healthy controls. ASD diagnosis was established per DSM-5, supported by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Morning samples (08:30-09:30) were assayed for serum BDNF, GDNF, NT-3, VEGF, cortisol, and plasma ACTH. Group comparisons used ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex, and BMI-for-age z score (BAZ), with Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Within-ASD associations were tested using covariate-adjusted partial Spearman correlations.
resultsBDNF was significantly lower in ASD than controls and remained significant after covariate adjustment and FDR correction. No between-group differences were observed for GDNF, NT-3, VEGF, ACTH, or cortisol. Within the ASD group, lower BDNF correlated with higher CARS total scores and higher ABC relating, social and self-help, and total scores. No significant correlations were found between neurotrophic factors and ACTH/cortisol.
conclusionsIn medication-naïve children with ASD aged 18-72 months, peripheral BDNF is reduced and relates to symptom severity and adaptive/social difficulties, whereas other neurotrophic factors and basal HPA-axis hormones do not differ from controls. Longitudinal studies incorporating standardized sampling and diurnal/stress-reactivity indices are needed to clarify developmental dynamics and clinical implications.
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