The role of oxidative stress in children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aims to investigate the role of oxidative stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by measuring serum levels of selenomethionine (SeMet) in preschool and school-aged children diagnosed with autism and comparing them with neurotypical children. A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 70 children (mean age 6.4 ± 3 years, 73% males) including ASD patients (43; of which 17 with blood analysed searching for SeMet, 37 with completed psychometric tests, 11 with matched SeMet/Tests) and healthy controls (27; of which 22 with blood analysed searching for SeMet, 18 with completed psychometric tests, 13 with matched SeMet/Tests). Blood samples were analysed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and data on associated psychopathology (CBCL), sleep habits (CSHQ), and eating habits (EDQ-C) were collected. Among ASD children, 9 (53%) showed increased selenomethionine levels; all HC, on the contrary, showed normal/lower levels of SeMet. The Mann-Whitney test was applied to assess differences in serum SeMet between ASD (mean 7.43 ± SD 6.08) and HC (3.04 ± 1.43) revealing a statistically significant difference (p>0.00001). The study identified elevated levels of selenomethionine in children with ASD compared to healthy controls. However, no significant correlations were found between SeMet levels and the associated ASD psychopathology, sleep or eating habits, as assessed by psychometric tests. These findings offer insights into the potential role of oxidative stress and selenium metabolism in the pathogenesis of ASD and highlight the need for further research to explore oxidative biomarkers for improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.