Decreased serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor in male adults with high-functioning autism

The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of autism are currently unknown. Given the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in brain development, we hypothesized that HGF plays a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we studied whether serum HGF levels are altered in subjects with high-functioning autism.Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we measured serum levels of HGF in 17 male adults with high-functioning autism and age-matched 18 male healthy subjects.The serum levels (503.5+/-160.5 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of HGF in the subjects with high-functioning autism were significantly (Mann-Whitney U=34.0, p0.001) lower than those (817.6+/-232.4 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of control subjects. However, there were no correlations between serum HGF levels and clinical variables in the patients.This study suggests that reduced HGF levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of high-functioning autism.