Comparison of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain and Tau Protein Levels in Cases with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Healthy Siblings and Healthy Controls

Overview

Journal Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Jul 29

PMID 39069690

Authors

Firat Oz

Ilyas Kaya

Yasar Tanir

Canan Kucukgergin

Abdurrahman Fatih Aydin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: : There is a growing interest among clinicians and researchers in identifying potential biomarkers associated with autism. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) and Tau protein, which are proteins associated with neurodegeneration and neuroaxonal degeneration, are particularly promising potential biomarker candidates in this field.

Methods: : In this study, we compared serum NfL (sNfL) and serum Tau (sTau) levels in Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, their healthy siblings (HS), and healthy controls (HC), aimed to investigate their relationship with ASD severity. Our study included 43 ASD-diagnosed participants, 43 HS participants and 42 HC participants. Clinical characteristics of the participants were assesed by Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Serum samples were subjected to analysis via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to quantitatively measure the levels of NfL and Tau protein.

Results: : sNfL levels in the ASD group were significantly higher than both of the control groups. Regarding sTau levels, no significant difference was found between study and control groups. In addition, NfL and Tau levels were not significantly correlated with ASD symptom severity.

Conclusion: : Our findings may indicate that the sNfl levels associated with neuroaxonal damage may constitue a potential clinical biomarker rather than being an endophenotype phenomena.

References

Duarte-Silva E, Macedo D, Maes M, Peixoto C . Novel insights into the mechanisms underlying depression-associated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2019; 93:1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.03.001. View

Travers B, Adluru N, Ennis C, Tromp D, Destiche D, Doran S . Diffusion tensor imaging in autism spectrum disorder: a review. Autism Res. 2012; 5(5):289-313. PMC: 3474893. DOI: 10.1002/aur.1243. View

Johnson G, Stoothoff W . Tau phosphorylation in neuronal cell function and dysfunction. J Cell Sci. 2004; 117(Pt 24):5721-9. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.01558. View

Faruk Demirel O, Cetin I, Turan S, Yildiz N, Saglam T, Duran A . Total Tau and Phosphorylated Tau Protein Serum Levels in Patients with Schizophrenia Compared with Controls. Psychiatr Q. 2017; 88(4):921-928. DOI: 10.1007/s11126-017-9507-x. View

Evers K, Hugli M, Fouzas S, Kasser S, Pohl C, Stoecklin B . Serum Neurofilament Levels in Children With Febrile Seizures and in Controls. Front Neurosci. 2020; 14:579958. PMC: 7550525. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.579958. View

Baio J, Wiggins L, Christensen D, Maenner M, Daniels J, Warren Z . Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018; 67(6):1-23. PMC: 5919599. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6706a1. View

Kern J, Geier D, Sykes L, Geier M . Evidence of neurodegeneration in autism spectrum disorder. Transl Neurodegener. 2013; 2(1):17. PMC: 3751488. DOI: 10.1186/2047-9158-2-17. View

Palmen S, van Engeland H, Hof P, Schmitz C . Neuropathological findings in autism. Brain. 2004; 127(Pt 12):2572-83. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awh287. View

Schonknecht P, Hempel A, Hunt A, Seidl U, Volkmann M, Pantel J . Cerebrospinal fluid tau protein levels in schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2003; 253(2):100-2. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-003-0415-8. View

10.

Kadak M, Cetin I, Tarakcioglu M, Ozer O, Kacar S, Cimen B . Low Serum Level α-Synuclein and Tau Protein in Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Controls. Neuropediatrics. 2015; 46(6):410-5. DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565273. View

11.

Sajdel-Sulkowska E, Xu M, McGinnis W, Koibuchi N . Brain region-specific changes in oxidative stress and neurotrophin levels in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cerebellum. 2010; 10(1):43-8. DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0223-4. View

12.

Jou R, Jackowski A, Papademetris X, Rajeevan N, Staib L, Volkmar F . Diffusion tensor imaging in autism spectrum disorders: preliminary evidence of abnormal neural connectivity. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010; 45(2):153-62. PMC: 3123660. DOI: 10.3109/00048674.2010.534069. View

13.

Shukla D, Keehn B, Lincoln A, Muller R . White matter compromise of callosal and subcortical fiber tracts in children with autism spectrum disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010; 49(12):1269-78, 1278.e1-2. PMC: 3346956. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.08.018. View

14.

Williams M, Sharma P, MacDonald C, Pearce R, Hirsch S, Maier M . Axonal myelin decrease in the splenium in major depressive disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2018; 269(4):387-395. PMC: 6525661. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-018-0904-4. View

15.

Verde F, Steinacker P, Weishaupt J, Kassubek J, Oeckl P, Halbgebauer S . Neurofilament light chain in serum for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018; 90(2):157-164. DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2018-318704. View

16.

Watanabe A, Hasegawa M, Suzuki M, Takio K, Morishima-Kawashima M, Titani K . In vivo phosphorylation sites in fetal and adult rat tau. J Biol Chem. 1993; 268(34):25712-7. View

17.

Garcia M, Lobsiger C, Shah S, Deerinck T, Crum J, Young D . NF-M is an essential target for the myelin-directed "outside-in" signaling cascade that mediates radial axonal growth. J Cell Biol. 2003; 163(5):1011-20. PMC: 2173620. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200308159. View

18.

Jin J, Cui Y, Hong Y, Zhou D, He N, Mao Z . Reference values for plasma neurofilament light chain in healthy Chinese children. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2021; 60(1):e10-e12. DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2021-0804. View

19.

Jakobsson J, Bjerke M, Ekman C, Sellgren C, Johansson A, Zetterberg H . Elevated concentrations of neurofilament light chain in the cerebrospinal fluid of bipolar disorder patients. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014; 39(10):2349-56. PMC: 4138743. DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.81. View

20.

Nitz E, Smitka M, Schallner J, Akgun K, Ziemssen T, von der Hagen M . Serum neurofilament light chain in pediatric spinal muscular atrophy patients and healthy children. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2021; 8(10):2013-2024. PMC: 8528467. DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51449. View