Table 3.
Evaluation of circulating cytokines, cytokine profiles, and cytokine ratios between individual groups (i.e., ASD, ADHD, and control groups) with respect to sex.
| Parameter | Controls a
(n = 20) |
Control Females b (n = 5) | Control Males c (n = 15) | ASD d (n = 20) |
ASD Females e (n = 5) |
ASD Males f (n = 15) | ADHD g
(n = 20) |
ADHD Females h (n = 5) | ADHD Males i
(n = 15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cytokines | |||||||||
| IL-1α (pg/mL) |
0.21 (0.18, 0.22) | 0.21 (0.19, 0.22) | 0.21 (0.18, 0.22) | 0.25 (0.21, 0.30) | 0.70 (0.57, 0.74) | 0.24 (0.21, 0.28) | 0.13 (0.11, 0.21) | 0.21 (0.08, 0.37) | 0.13 (0.11, 0.17) |
| IL-1β (pg/mL) |
0.88 (0.68, 0.97) | 0.64 (0.62, 0.91) | 0.88 (0.75, 1.05) | 1.19 (0.93, 1.69) | 1.08 (0.93, 2.06) | 1.21 (0.97, 1.61) | 1.28 (1.02, 2.83) | 1.13 (1.11, 1.31) | 1.80 (0.94, 2.97) |
| IL-2 (pg/mL) |
1.68 (1.26, 2.21) | 1.40 (1.01, 1.74) | 1.88 (1.33, 2.38) | 2.25 (1.70, 4.97) | 5.12 (2.55, 7.66) | 2.19 (1.70, 3.92) | 1.19 (0.92, 1.68) | 1.78 (1.28, 1.88) | 1.07 (0.86, 1.28) |
| IL-4 (pg/mL) |
1.89 ± 0.37 | 1.92 ± 0.13 | 1.88 ± 0.11 | 2.37 ± 0.72 | 2.61 ± 0.41 | 2.31 ± 0.18 | 1.69 ± 0.40 | 1.66 ± 0.15 | 1.70 ± 0.12 |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) |
0.52 (0.37, 0.63) | 0.53 (0.38, 0.68) | 0.52 (0.37, 0.61) | 0.81 (0.66, 1.43) | 1.35 (1.00, 1.85) | 0.74 (0.65, 1.00) | 1.17 (1.06, 1.45) | 1.15 (1.10, 1.69) | 1.21 (0.98, 1.43) |
| IL-8 (pg/mL) |
3.38 (3.06, 3.88) | 3.29 (3.19, 3.48) | 3.70 (2.98, 4.36) | 4.48 (3.90, 5.42) | 5.85 (5.36, 6.29) | 4.27 (3.83, 5.06) | 3.05 (2.54, 3.44) | 2.96 (2.67, 3.31) | 3.08 (2.49, 3.46) |
| IL-10 (pg/mL) |
0.61 (0.51, 0.70) | 0.66 (0.52, 0.72) | 0.58 (0.51, 0.67) | 0.96 (0.70, 1.76) | 1.77 (0.79, 1.99) | 0.80 (0.68, 1.32) | 0.54 (0.50, 0.82) | 0.52 (0.50, 0.62) | 0.55 (0.50, 0.85) |
| IFN-γ (pg/mL) |
0.29 (0.19, 0.42) | 0.31 (0.16, 0.37) | 0.28 (0.19, 0.46) | 0.28 (0.22, 0.36) | 0.37 (0.34, 0.44) | 0.26 (0.16, 0.30) | 0.43 (0.28, 0.55) | 0.29 (0.18, 0.54) | 0.44 (0.26, 0.53) |
| TNF-α (pg/mL) |
2.22 ± 0.84 | 1.74 ± 0.14 | 2.38 ± 0.23 | 2.57 ± 0.81 | 3.04 ± 0.51 | 2.42 ± 0.17 | 3.73 ± 0.98 | 4.06 ± 0.47 | 3.62 ± 0.25 |
| Cytokine profiles | |||||||||
| Th1 profile | −0.53 ± 1.22 | −0.95 ± 0.46 | −0.40 ± 0.33 | 0.10 ± 1.51 | 1.14 ± 1.20 | −0.16 ± 0.38 | −0.09 ± 1.30 | 0.55 ± 0.69 | −0.33 ± 0.33 |
| M1 profile | −1.88 (−2.68, −0.72) | −2.51 (−3.57, −1.70) | −1.76 (−2.67, −0.47) | −0.31 (−1.48, 0.58) | −1.47 (−1.47, 1.38) | −0.25 (−1.53, 0.52) | 1.85 (1.13, 3.27) | 2.20 (1.74, 3.23) | 1.83 (0.39, 3.25) |
| proinflammatory profile | −2.44 ± 3.31 | −4.15 ± 0.99 | −1.83 ± 0.93 | −0.14 ± 2.53 | 1.93 ± 1.70 | −0.52 ± 0.74 | 1.01 ± 2.60 | 1.70 ± 1.39 | 0.84 ± 0.79 |
| anti-inflammatory profile | −0.35 (−1.55, 0.18) | −0.30 (−0.36, −0.04) | −0.74 (−1.81, 0.20) | 0.84 (−0.32, 2.93) | 1.93 (0.28, 3.63) | 0.84 (−0.38, 2.52) | −0.91 (−1.78, −0.34) | −0.97 (−1.05, −0.72) | −0.85 (−1.92, −0.19) |
| Cytokine ratios | |||||||||
| Th1/Th2 ratio |
−0.23 ± 1.24 | −0.93 ± 0.33 | 0.01 ± 0.34 | −0.43 ± 0.95 | 0.03 ± 0.76 | −0.51 ± 0.28 | 0.46 ± 1.27 | 1.11 ± 0.82 | 0.21 ± 0.27 |
| Th1/Treg ratio | −0.03 ± 1.00 | −0.55 ± 0.56 | 0.15 ± 0.23 | −0.36 ± 1.08 | 0.32 ± 0.58 | −0.52 ± 0.31 | 0.33 ± 1.44 | 1.09 ± 0.72 | 0.01 ± 0.38 |
| Th1/Th2+ Treg ratio |
0.28 ± 1.21 | −0.54 ± 0.52 | 0.55 ± 0.29 | −0.75 ± 0.98 | 0.01 ± 0.63 | −0.87 ± 0.28 | 0.95 ± 1.33 | 1.65 ± 0.81 | 0.66 ± 0.30 |
| Proinflammatory/ anti-inflammatory ratio |
−1.78 ± 2.82 | −3.74 ± 1.02 | −1.07 ± 0.73 | −0.59 ± 1.82 | 1.85 ± 1.30 | −1.03 ± 0.45 | 1.66 ± 2.52 | 2.49 ± 1.38 | 1.43 ± 0.79 |
ASD—autism spectrum disorder; ADHD—attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; IL — interleukin; IFN-γ—interferon-gamma; TNF-α—tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Th—T helper lymphocytes; M1—macrophages M1; Treg—T regulatory lymphocytes. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM or median (interquartile range). a indicates the control group; b indicates the control females; c indicates the control males; d indicates the whole ASD group; e indicates the ASD females; f indicates the ASD males; g indicates the whole ADHD group; h indicates the ADHD females; i indicates the ADHD males.