Comparison of Serum VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1α Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Healthy Controls.
Children with autism show higher blood IGF-1, giving clinicians one more data point during medical assessment, not a therapy target.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team drew blood from kids with autism and from same-age peers without autism.
They measured three proteins tied to blood vessel and cell growth: VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1α.
The goal was to see if any protein level looked different in children with ASD.
What they found
Kids with autism had clearly higher IGF-1.
Their HIF-1α was slightly lower, and VEGF looked the same as controls.
The pattern hints these growth signals might play a role, but the study did not test any therapy.
How this fits with other research
Ceylan et al. (2021) ran a nearly identical 2021 study: same age group, same blood-draw design, but they tracked immune stress markers instead.
Both papers show kids with ASD carry measurable blood differences, just different ones.
Niego et al. (2021) also used blood, yet they counted gene messages, not proteins; together the papers build a bigger picture of molecular signals in autism.
Why it matters
You cannot treat behavior with a protein shot, but you can add these labs when families ask for a full medical work-up.
If future studies link high IGF-1 to certain sleep or gut issues, you will already know the marker is common and can track it with the pediatrician.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether serum VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1α levels differed between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients and healthy controls. A total of 40 children with ASD and 40 healthy controls aged 4-12 years were included. Serum levels of VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1α were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Serum IGF-1 levels were found to be statistically significantly higher in the ASD group than in the control group. Serum HIF-1α levels were borderline significantly lower in the ASD group. There was no statistically significant difference in serum VEGF levels between the two groups. IGF-1 and HIF-1α may play a potential role in the etiopathogenesis of ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2021 · doi:10.1091/mbc.E02-09-0598