Table 1.

Overview of the analyzed studies.

Study/Author	Number of Patients and Description of Inclusion Criteria								Methods and Measured Outcome	Major Findings	Notes
	Boys				Girls
	Autism		Control		Autism		Control
	Prepubertal	Postpubertal	Prepubertal	Postpubertal	Prepubertal	Postpubertal	Prepubertal	Postpubertal
TORDJMAN ET AL. 1995	31N/A	10N/A	8 healthy children	11 healthy children					Blood (plasma), Testosterone and DHEA-S	No alterations of Testosterone and DHEA-S	no significant increase neither in the prepubertal nor in the postpubertal group of children with autism as compared to ten healthy controls
		14 Sixteen consecutive pre-pubertal age children (</=11 years old; mean +/- SD: 5.9 +/- 2.1 years old)	Age- and sex- specific reference values from LabCorp		2 Sixteen consecutive pre-pubertal age children (</=11 years old; mean +/- SD: 5.9 +/- 2.1 years old)		Age- and sex- specific reference values from LabCorp		Blood samples	Significantly increased levels of serum/plasma DHEA and serum total Testosterone relative to the age- and sex-specific normal laboratory reference ranges were observed.	There was no control group—results were reported as percent of mean reference value
		59 children 10.8 ± 4.1 (34 with Autism and 36 with Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS according to DSM-IV criteria, >/= 6 years-old)	Age- and sex- specific reference values from LabCorp		11 children 10.8 ± 4.1 (34 with Autism and 36 with Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS according to DSM-IV criteria, >/= 6 years-old)		Age- and sex- specific reference values from LabCorp		Blood samples, serum Testosterone, serum free Testosterone, % free Testosterone, DHEA, Androstendione, morning blood samples collected afer overnight fast	Affected subjects showed significantly increased relative mean levels for: serum Testosterone (158%), serum free Testosterone (214%), percent free Testosterone (121%), DHEA (192%), and Androstenedione (173%). Additionally, at least one of the androgen attributes examined exceeded its recognized laboratory age- and sex-specific reference range in 81.4% (57 of 70) of the patients examined. With respect to their age- and sex-specific reference ranges, females had significantly higher overall mean relative Testosterone and relative free Testosterone levels than males.	There was no control group—results were reported as percent of mean reference value
CROONENBERGHS ET AL. 2010		18 DSM-IV criteria to make the diagnosis of autism.		22 healthy volunteers					Blood samples, the serum Testosterone concentration on 9 consecutives time points between 08.00 AM and 12.00 AM	The total Testosterone concentration was significantly lower in the autism group compared to the group of healthy controls.
MAJEWSKA ET AL. 2013	23 age group 3–4 years DSM-IV	19 age group 7–9 years	20 age group 3–4 years DSM-IV	17 age group 7–9 years	22 age group 3–4 years DSM-IV	13 age group 7–9 years	16 age group 3–4 years DSM-IV	18 age group 7–9 years	salivary levels of 22 steroids	Children with autism had significantly higher Androstenediol, DHEA, Androsterone and their polar conjugates), indicative of precocious adrenarche and predictive of early puberty
EL-BAZ ET AL. 2014	30 (DSM-IV), 12 (40%) had mild to moderate autism and 18 (60%) had severe autism.		20 sex- and pubertal-stage-matched children and adolescents						Blood (serum), serum free Testosterone, DHEA, Δ4-Androstenedione (Δ4-A).	11 showed higher free Testosterone levels, 9 had high DHEA, 12 had high Δ4-A and 8 children showed an elevation of all androgen levels, an association was detected between disease severity and androgen levels.
GASSER ET AL. 2019		41 20 boys with Asperger syndrome, 21 boys with Kanner’s syndrome		41 matched for age, weight, and height					comprehensive steroid hormone metabolite analysis via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry from urine probes controlled for creatinine excretion	Higher levels of most steroid metabolites were detected in boys with Kanner’s syndrome and Asperger syndrome compared to their matched controls. These differences were more pronounced in affected individuals with Kanner’s syndrome versus Asperger syndrome.	A specific and unique pattern of alteration of Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, Progesterone, Tetrahydrocortisone, and Tetrahydrocortisol was identified in boys with Kanner’s syndrome and Asperger syndrome.
GASSER ET AL. 2020						16 Sixteen autistic girls (BMI 17.4 ± 2.8; average age 14.3 + 4.2 years)		16 matched control cohort for age, weight and height (BMI 16.8 ± 2.4; average age 14.4 ± 4 years)	Urine—MS-GC
JANSAKOVA ET AL. 2020	86 DSM-V		24 age and sex-matched neurotypical control group						Blood—MS-GC
TOTAL PER CATEGORY	170	161	94	69	35	29	16	34
TOTAL PER CLASS	331		163		64		50