Mills James L, Hediger Mary L, Molloy Cynthia A, Chrousos George P, Manning-Courtney Patricia, Yu Kai F, Brasington Mark, England Lucinda J
Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Aug;67(2):230-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02868.x. Epub 2007 Jun 4.
Children with autism are known to have larger head circumferences; whether they are above average in height and weight is less clear. Moreover, little is known about growth-related hormone levels in children with autism. We investigated whether children with autism were taller and heavier, and whether they had higher levels of growth-related hormones than control children did.
A case-control study design was employed.
Boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism (n = 71) and age-matched control boys (n = 59) were evaluated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Height, weight and head circumference were measured. Blood samples were assayed for IGF-1 and 2, IGFBP-3, growth hormone binding protein (GHBP) and for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulphate (DHEAS).
Subjects with autism/ASD had significantly (P = 0.03) greater head circumferences (mean z-score 1.24, SD 1.35) than controls (mean z-score 0.78, SD 0.93). Subjects with autism also had significantly (P = 0.01) greater weights (mean z-score 0.91, SD 1.13) than controls (mean z-score 0.41, SD 1.11). Height did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.65); subjects with autism/ASD had significantly (P = 0.003) higher body mass indices (BMI) (mean z-score 0.85, SD 1.19) than controls (mean z-score 0.24, SD 1.17). Levels of IGF-1, IGF-2, IGFBP-3 and GHBP in the group with autism/ASD were all significantly higher (all P < or = 0.0001) than in controls.
Children with autism/ASD had significantly higher levels of many growth-related hormones: IGF-1, IGF-2, IGFBP-3 and GHBP. These findings could help explain the significantly larger head circumferences and higher weights and BMIs seen in these subjects. Future studies should examine the potential role of growth-related hormones in the pathophysiology of autism.
已知自闭症儿童头围较大；但他们的身高和体重是否高于平均水平尚不清楚。此外，对于自闭症儿童与生长相关的激素水平知之甚少。我们调查了自闭症儿童是否比对照儿童更高、更重，以及他们与生长相关的激素水平是否更高。
采用病例对照研究设计。
在辛辛那提儿童医院对患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）或自闭症的男孩（n = 71）以及年龄匹配的对照男孩（n = 59）进行了评估。
测量身高、体重和头围。对血液样本检测胰岛素样生长因子1和2（IGF-1和2）、胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3（IGFBP-3）、生长激素结合蛋白（GHBP）以及脱氢表雄酮（DHEA）和硫酸脱氢表雄酮（DHEAS）。
自闭症/ASD患者的头围（平均z分数1.24，标准差1.35）显著（P = 0.03）大于对照组（平均z分数0.78，标准差0.93）。自闭症患者的体重（平均z分数0.91，标准差1.13）也显著（P = 0.01）高于对照组（平均z分数0.41，标准差1.11）。两组间身高无显著差异（P = 0.65）；自闭症/ASD患者的体重指数（BMI）（平均z分数0.85，标准差1.19）显著（P = 0.003）高于对照组（平均z分数0.24，标准差1.17）。自闭症/ASD组的IGF-1、IGF-2、IGFBP-3和GHBP水平均显著高于对照组（均P≤0.0001）。
自闭症/ASD儿童许多与生长相关的激素水平显著更高：IGF-1、IGF-2、IGFBP-3和GHBP。这些发现有助于解释这些受试者中显著更大的头围以及更高的体重和BMI。未来的研究应探讨与生长相关的激素在自闭症病理生理学中的潜在作用。
