MicroRNA biomarkers in blood for Autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recently recognized as potential biomarkers of ASD as they are dysregulated in various tissues of individuals with ASD. However, it remains unclear whether miRNA expression is altered in individuals with high-functioning ASD. Here, we investigated the miRNA expression profile in peripheral blood from adults with high-functioning ASD, and age and gender-matched healthy controls. Our findings may provide insights regarding the molecular clues for recognizing high-functioning ASD. We profiled miRNA expression using peripheral blood from 30 ASD patients and 30 controls.