Objective: To explore the relationship between serum homocysteine (Hcy), interleukin-5 (IL-5), folate and core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders, so as to provide potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and intervention of diseases. Methods: A total of 106 children with autism spectrum disorders and 106 healthy children with matched sex and age in Lu an People s Hospital were enrolled as autism group and healthy group between May 2020 to December 2023. On the day of admission, levels of serum Hcy, IL-5 and folate were detected. The core symptoms in autism group were evaluated by Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-fourth edition(WPPSI-IV), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). The levels of serum Hcy, IL-5 and folate in the two groups were compared by t- test. The relationship between serum Hcy, IL-5, folate and core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders was determined by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The levels of serum Hcy and IL-5 in autism group were (7.48±0.32) μmol/L and (345.77±32.51) pg/mL, higher than those in healthy group [(6.11±0.54) μmol/L, (274.04±25.17) pg/mL], while folate level was lower than that in healthy group [(15.24±3.47) ng/mL, (22.51±4.69) ng/mL], the differences were statistically significant ( t =22.47, 17.96, 12.83, all P < 0.05 ). In autism group, levels of serum Hcy and IL-5 were positively correlated with scores of ABC, CARS and SRS ( r =0.29, 0.53 , 0.54; 0.45, 0.41, 0.50), while negatively correlated with WPPSI-IV score ( r =-0.28, -0.26)(all P <0.05). The folate level was negatively correlated with scores of ABC, CARS and SRS ( r =-0.55, -0.40, -0.25), while positively correlated with WPPSI-IV score ( r =0.41) (all P <0.05). Conclusion Children with ASD show elevated serum Hcy and IL-5 alongside decreased folate,and three markers correlate with core symptoms and intellectual level.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective and therapeutic effects of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (Fp) supernatant on ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and the underlying mechanisms.
 METHODS: Forty male mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a treatment group and a prevention group (n=10 in each group). The colorectal histopathologic damage score (HDS) were calculated; the proportion of helper T cell (Th17) in mononuclear cells (MNC) in spleen, the levels of IL-17A and IL-6 in plasma were detected; the mRNA levels of transcription factor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-γt (ROR-γt), interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-6 in colon mucosa tissues were also determined.
 RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the colon HDS in the treatment group and the prevention group were significantly decreased (both P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the treatment group and the prevention group (P>0.05). The proportion of Th17 cells in spleen in the treatment group and the prevention group was also remarkably lower than that in the model group (both P<0.01). The levels of IL-17A and IL-6 in plasma in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the model group (both P<0.05). The mRNA expression of ROR-γt, IL-17A and IL-6 in the colon mucosa tissues in the treatment group were remarkably lower than those in the model group (all P<0.05). But there was no statistic difference in the level of IL-6 in the plasma and the colon mucosa tissues between the prevention group and the model group (P>0.05).
 CONCLUSION Fp supernatant has protective and therapeutic effects on ulcerative colitis in mice induced by DSS, which might be mediated by decrease of Th17 and IL-17A levels in the plasma and the colon mucosa tissues. Fp supernatant also can decrease mice colitis by reducing IL-6 levels.
Animals ; Clostridiales ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; chemically induced ; immunology ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; pharmacology ; Dextran Sulfate ; adverse effects ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; immunology ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; immunology ; Intestinal Mucosa ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Th17 Cells ; drug effects ; immunology