Authors: Russo A.J, Albert Mensah, Judith Bowman.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), originally described as an endothelial cell-specific mitogen, is produced by many cell types including macrophages and platelets. It plays an important role in the development and function of the central and peripheral nervous system. In this study, we used immune-arrays to measure VEGF in mothers of autistic children and controls. We found that VEGF plasma levels of mothers of autistic children were significantly lower than controls. These results suggest that VEGF may be associated with the etiology of autism and may have a diagnostic role in ASD.
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