Perspective Biological Markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Advantages of the Use of Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves in Evaluating Marker Sensitivity and Specificity

Table 1

Neurotransmitters and neurotrophins. AUC: Area Under the Curve; ASD: Autistic Spectrum Disorder; HC: healthy controls; and SD: standard deviation.

Lab test

Increase

Decrease

values

Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC)

Diagnosis

Age (Y): range (mean ± SD)

Number; M/F

Control group

Country

Biologic sample

Technique

Reference

Cut-off values

Sensitivity

Specificity

AUC

GABA; (μmol/L)

0.001

0.170

90.0%

80.0%

0.883

ASD

3–12 (7.0 ± 2.34)

52; male

HC

Saudi Arabia

Plasma platelet-free

ELISA

[37]

Serotonin (ng/mL)

0.001

59.925

100.0%

100.0%

1.000

Dopamine; (ng/L)

0.001

477.771

92.9%

88.9%

0.968

Oxytocin (μLU/mL)

0.001

92.105

90.0%

100.0%

0.981

Serotonin; (ng/mL)

<0.001

111.20

78.79%

80.65%

0.86

Autism

(12.21 ± 2.67)

27/6

HC

China

Whole blood

HPLC

[36]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (ng/mL)

<0.0001

15.0

71.7%

86.7%

0.830

ASD

(3.78 ± 1.22)

48/12

HC

China

Serum

ELISA

[38]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (ng/mL)

<0.0001

12.65

80.8%

70.2%

0.840

ASD

(4.0 ± 1.25)

62/13

HC

China

Serum

ELISA

[39]

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) (ng/mL)

<0.001

Serotonin (5HT) (ng/mL)

<0.001

High level of sensitivity and specificity

Autism

4–12

25

HC

Saudi Arabia

Plasma; platelet-rich

ELISA

[54]

Dopamine (DA) (ng/mL)

<0.001