Biomedical approach in autism spectrum disorders—the importance of assessing inflammation

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are severe heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by dysfunctions in social interaction and communication skills, repetitive and stereotypic verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Published findings have identified widespread changes in the immune systems of children with autism, at the systemic and cellular levels, suggesting that autism may, in fact, be a systemic disorder with connections to abnormal immune responses. Evaluating autism is hindered by a lack of specific biomarkers, making these pathologies difficult to diagnose. A critical priority for the future of ASD management is the identification of potential targets for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this brief report is to raise awareness regarding the involvement of different inflammatory processes in ASD and the need to assess them as a part of a biomedical evaluation. An extensive analysis of biomarkers relating to inflammation, immune dysfunctions, intestinal dysfunctions and infections will assist in the management of the autistic patient through a more personalized therapy.

Keywords

• autism
• inflammation
• immune dysfunction
• intestinal dysfunctions
• biomedical evaluation