Evidence mapPaperPMID 42287409Full record

ReviewEuropean child & adolescent psychiatry2026

Inflammatory cytokine alterations in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Qiuxing Chen, Yuqi Sun, Nanfang Pan, Yajing Long, Ying Cao, Ya Luo, Kaiqi Xin, Pinqi Chen, Yingjin Wang, Min Shu and 2 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in European child & adolescent psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Qiuxing Chen *Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yuqi Sun *Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Nanfang PanDepartment of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yajing LongDepartment of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Ying CaoDepartment of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Ya LuoMental Health Center, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Kaiqi XinMental Health Center, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Pinqi ChenMental Health Center, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Yingjin WangGynecology and pediatrics department, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Min ShuGynecology and pediatrics department, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Ying ChenDepartment of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. chenying85285@163.com.
Qiyong GongDepartment of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institute of Radiology and Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Psychoradiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. qiyonggong@hmrrc.org.cn.

Funding

Key research and development project of science and technology, department of Sichuan Province 2022YFS0179National Natural Science Foundation of China 81621003National Natural Science Foundation of China 81801358National Natural Science Foundation of China 823B2041
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show significant clinical overlap, it remains unclear whether they share a common basis of immune dysregulation. To characterize the shared and distinct immune dysregulation, we performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare inflammatory profiles across ASD, ADHD, and healthy controls (HC). We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for literature published up to January 1, 2025. For each inflammatory marker, NMA was conducted when studies for both ADHD and ASD were available; otherwise, pairwise meta-analyses were used. Additionally, meta-regression analysis was employed to assess the influence of age and sex. Seventy-four studies were included (participants: ASD: 4331, ADHD: 990, HC: 5037). NMA showed that, compared with controls, individuals with ASD had higher levels of CRP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and BDNF, whereas individuals with ADHD had lower levels of TNF-α, IL-2, and MCP-1. Individuals with ASD had higher levels of TNF-α, IL-2, IL-8, IL-1β, and MCP-1 compared to those with ADHD. Pairwise meta-analysis revealed elevated levels of IL-4, IL-7, IL-12, IL-1α, MIP-1β, eotaxin, and GM-CSF in ASD, while no significant differences were observed between ADHD and controls. Pairwise meta-regression suggested that certain inflammatory markers may be influenced by age and sex. This first NMA suggests distinct immune dysregulation patterns: individuals with ASD exhibit alterations across multiple inflammatory cytokines, whereas individuals with ADHD show decreased levels of specific inflammatory factors. Future large-scale studies are needed to validate these biomarkers.

Indexed as

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderAutism spectrum disorderImmune dysregulationInflammatory cytokineNetwork meta-analysis

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.