Plasma Levels of Alpha and Gamma Synucleins in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Indicator of Severity

Abstract

The aim of this study was to correlate plasma levels of the synaptic proteins α-synuclein and γ-synuclein in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in order to elucidate their possible contribution to the pathogenesis of ASD and to study their association with the severity of the disorder. Subjects and Methods: Plasma levels of α-synuclein and γ-synuclein were measured in 38 male children diagnosed with ASD and 40 healthy age-matched male children by ELISA. Results: Our results showed that plasma levels of α-synuclein (18.02 ± 5.3 pg/mL) were significantly higher in ASD children than in control children (14.39 ± 2 pg/mL), and plasma levels of γ-synuclein were decreased in the ASD group (23.74 ± 7.7 pg/mL) compared to the control group (32.40 ± 6.8 pg/mL) (p < 0.0001). Our data also indicate that plasma levels of both α-synuclein and γ-synuclein are significantly associated with the severity of ASD. Conclusions: Our study showed that alteration in α-synuclein and γ-synuclein might be associated with ASD pathogenesis and could be an indicator of the severity of the disorder.