Alterations of Growth Factors in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Alma Y Galvez-Contreras; Tania Campos-Ordonez; Rocio E Gonzalez-Castaneda; Oscar Gonzalez-Perez

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00126

Alterations of Growth Factors in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Front Psychiatry. 2017 Jul 13:8:126. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00126. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Alma Y Galvez-Contreras^{1

2}, Tania Campos-Ordonez^{3

4}, Rocio E Gonzalez-Castaneda¹, Oscar Gonzalez-Perez^{3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
² Unidad de Atencion en Neurosciencias, Department of Neuroscience, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
³ Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico.
⁴ Medical Science PhD Program, School of Medicine, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico.
⁵ El Colegio de Colima, Colima, Mexico.

Abstract

Growth factors (GFs) are cytokines that regulate the neural development. Recent evidence indicates that alterations in the expression level of GFs during embryogenesis are linked to the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this concise review, we summarize the current evidence that supports the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor 2, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophins 3 and 4, and epidermal growth factor in the pathogenesis of ADHD and ASD. We also highlight the potential use of these GFs as clinical markers for diagnosis and prognosis of these neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; biomarker; cerebral cortex; cognitive impairment; cytokines; developmental disorders; growth factors.