Comparison of Serum USP9x and TGF-β Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Healthy Controls

Mehmet Karadağ; Fatma Subaşı Turgut; Zehra Çiftçi; Zehra Hangül; Seyithan Taysi

doi:10.29399/npa.28650

Comparison of Serum USP9x and TGF-β Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Healthy Controls

Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2024 Nov 28;61(4):306-312. doi: 10.29399/npa.28650. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Mehmet Karadağ¹, Fatma Subaşı Turgut², Zehra Çiftçi¹, Zehra Hangül¹, Seyithan Taysi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Türkiye.
² Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Türkiye.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Türkiye.

Abstract

Introduction: USP9X has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders due to its role in synaptic development and neural function. This study aimed to compare USP9X and TGF-β levels in children with autism and healthy controls, and explore their relationship with autism severity.

Methods: Serum USP9X and TGF-β levels were measured in 41 healthy control children (aged 3-12 years) and 41 children with autism.

Results: Our study revealed a significant increase in USP9X levels (p=0.001) among children with autism compared to controls. However, TGF-β levels showed no significant difference between the two groups. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between difficulty in making eye contact subscale and blood levels of both USP9X and TGF-β.

Conclusions: This study is the first to compare serum USP9X levels in children with autism to healthy controls. Our findings suggest USP9X's potential role in autism development, emphasizing the need for further research on its involvement in neurodevelopmental processes.

Keywords: Autism; Etiology; TGF-β; USP9X.