Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42064151›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2026

Faecal inflammatory protein markers in children with autism spectrum disorder are comparable to their healthy siblings.

Joško Osredkar, Petra Finderle, Uroš Godnov, Maja Jekovec-Vrhovšek, Veronika Vidova, James Price Elliott, Teja Fabjan, Gorazd Avguštin, Damjan Osredkar, Kristina Kumer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Joško OsredkarInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Petra FinderleInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Uroš GodnovThe Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Ljubljana, Koper, Slovenia.
Maja Jekovec-VrhovšekCenter for Autism, Unit of Child Psychiatry, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Veronika VidovaResearch Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
James Price ElliottResearch Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
Teja FabjanInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Gorazd AvguštinDepartment of Microbiology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia.
Damjan OsredkarDivision of Pediatrics, Department of Child, Adolescent and Developmental Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Kristina KumerInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition often accompanied by gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Inflammatory proteins in stool have been proposed as potential biomarkers, but evidence remains inconsistent. We compared fecal levels of α1-antitrypsin (A1AT), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and calprotectin (Cal) in 57 children with ASD and 57 biological siblings without ASD. Sibling designs are now preferred to disentangle ASD-specific biology from shared environmental and microbiome factors. Participants were carefully screened to exclude recent antibiotic use, digestive problems, gastrointestinal infections, and abnormal dietary patterns, thereby controlling for major factors known to influence gut inflammatory markers. Methods: Stool samples were thawed, freeze-dried, and proteins extracted using ammonium bicarbonate buffer with sodium deoxycholate. After BCA quantification, samples were reduced, alkylated, spiked with stable isotope-labelled peptides, and digested with trypsin. Peptides were purified and analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS (Agilent 6495A) in dynamic SRM mode. Quantification used internal standards and normalization to total protein. Ratios of IgA1/IgA2 and S100A8/S100A9 were calculated. ASD severity was evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Results: Children with ASD showed trends toward higher IgA and calprotectin and lower α1-antitrypsin compared with siblings, but differences were not statistically significant. Subgroup analysis suggested different distribution patterns in moderate versus severe ASD, including higher IgA in the moderate group and altered S100A8/S100A9 ratio in the severe group. These subgroup findings were exploratory, derived from critically underpowered Conclusions: The results are consistent with recent meta-analyses reporting no consistent evidence of gut inflammation in ASD. Larger, sex-matched studies with full assay validation are needed to clarify the role of stool proteins in ASD.

Indexed as

alpha-1-antitrypsinautism spectrum disordercalprotectinimmunoglobulin Asiblingsstool samples

Identifiers

PMID42064151
PMCPMC13125985

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.