Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh P.O. Box 446, Lebanon.
UMR Inserm 1253 Ibrain, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France.
Genes (Basel). 2023 Mar 13;14(3):709. doi: 10.3390/genes14030709.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become a major public health concern due to its rapidly rising incidence over the past few years. Disturbances in folate or methionine metabolism have been identified in many individuals with ASD, suggesting that the folate-methionine cycle may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of autism. Thus, changes in metabolite concentrations associated with this cycle could be used as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ASD. The aim of this systematic review is to elucidate the perturbations of this cycle and the possible interventions that may be proposed in this context. Several studies have shown that high levels of homocysteine and low levels of vitamins B12 and folate are associated with ASD. These changes in serum metabolites are influenced by poor diet. In fact, children with ASD tend to eat selectively, which could compromise the quality of their diet and result in nutrient deficiencies. Moreover, these disturbances may also be caused by genetic predispositions such as polymorphisms of the gene. Few studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of the use of nutritional supplements in treating ASD children. Therefore, larger, well-structured studies are recommended to examine the impact of vitamin B12 and folate supplementation on homocysteine levels.
自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 近年来发病率迅速上升，已成为一个主要的公共卫生关注点。许多 ASD 患者的叶酸或蛋氨酸代谢出现紊乱，这表明叶酸-蛋氨酸循环可能在自闭症的发病机制中发挥重要作用。因此，与该循环相关的代谢物浓度变化可以作为 ASD 的潜在生物标志物和治疗靶点。本系统综述的目的是阐明该循环的紊乱以及在此背景下可能提出的干预措施。多项研究表明，高同型半胱氨酸水平和维生素 B12 和叶酸水平低与 ASD 有关。这些血清代谢物的变化受不良饮食的影响。事实上，自闭症儿童往往挑食，这可能会影响他们的饮食质量，导致营养缺乏。此外，这些紊乱也可能是由基因易感性引起的，如 基因的多态性。少数研究表明，使用营养补充剂治疗 ASD 儿童具有有益效果。因此，建议进行更大规模、结构更严谨的研究，以检验维生素 B12 和叶酸补充对同型半胱氨酸水平的影响。
