Androgens have been implicated in autism pathophysiology as recently, prenatal exposure to elevated androgens has been proposed as a risk factor.
However, published data on postnatal sex hormone levels in autistic children are controversial and the source of prenatal androgen exposure in autism remains unknown.
Therefore, this study investigated postnatal sex hormone levels and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to shed light on a potential role for the adrenal gland in autism pathophysiology.
These results showed a significant elevation in DHEA and FSH levels in boys with autism compared to their age- and sex-matched controls.
This is the first study to report a strong positive correlation between the previously reported elevated levels of total testosterone and free testosterone and the DHEA levels measured in the current study in the same group of boys with autism, suggesting an adrenal source for the elevated androgens.
Considering androgens’ capacity to exert organizational effects on the developing human brain, these findings raise a hypothesis that the adrenal gland could be the pathological origin for autism, which is worth further investigation and represents a potential target for early therapeutic interventions.
Published: 07 September 2021
source:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97266-8
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97266-8
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