VEGF, IGF-1 and FGF-2 Serum Levels in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder with and without Bipolar Disorder.
Higher VEGF and FGF-2 in blood can signal bipolar disorder inside autism—fast, cheap, and objective.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doctors drew blood from autistic youth. Some also had bipolar disorder. The lab checked three growth chemicals: VEGF, IGF-1, and FGF-2. They wanted to see if levels differed between the two groups.
The study used a simple two-group design. No pills or therapy were given. Just a quick blood test and a chart review.
What they found
VEGF and FGF-2 were clearly higher in kids who had both autism and bipolar disorder. IGF-1 levels looked about the same in both groups. The jump in VEGF and FGF-2 could act as an early red flag for mood swings.
How this fits with other research
Alzghoul et al. (2020) also ran blood work on Jordanian boys with autism. They found lower vitamin D, not higher growth factors. The two studies do not clash; they simply point to different blood clues.
Siniscalco et al. (2013) saw higher CB2 receptor levels in autistic children’s blood cells. Like Guldiken et al. (2024), they show that body chemistry can flag autism sub-groups. Together the papers build a menu of possible lab markers.
Fradet et al. (2025) will soon pool many ASD biomarker studies. Their upcoming review is likely to include these VEGF and FGF-2 numbers, helping clinicians see which tests are worth ordering.
Why it matters
You now have a quick lab reason to suspect bipolar disorder in an autistic teen. If VEGF or FGF-2 come back high, share the result with the psychiatrist. Earlier mood treatment may prevent crisis visits.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate serum levels of VEGF, IGF-1 and FGF-2, and relationships with several clinical characteristics in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with and without bipolar disorder (BD). METHOD: 40 subjects with ASD + BD as study group, and 40 subjects with ASD as control group were included. Serum levels of VEGF, IGF-1, and FGF-2 were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. RESULTS: The study group was significantly higher than the control group in terms of ASD severity, self-harming behavior and sleep disturbance. Serum VEGF and FGF-2 levels were significantly higher in the ASD + BD group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in serum IGF-1 levels between the two groups. There was no correlation between VEGF, IGF-1 and FGF-2 serum levels and ASD severity in the study group. However there was a negative correlation between VEGF levels and age at first diagnosis of BD, and a positive correlation between IGF-1 levels and the number of bipolar episodes in the study group. CONCLUSION: Growth factors like VEGF and FGF-2 may be potential biomarkers of bipolar disorder in young subjects with ASD. Given the difficulty of clinical management of BD in young subjects with ASD, potential biomarkers would help clinicians in the diagnosis and follow up of BD in this special population. Further research is needed whether VEGF and FGF-2 can be potential biomarkers in the clinical management of young subjects with ASD and BD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2024 · doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002411