Redox proteomic identification of carbonylated proteins in autism plasma: insight into oxidative stress and its related biomarkers in autism

Background: Autism is a severe childhood neurological disorder with poorly understood etiology and pathology. Currently, there is no authentic laboratory test to confirm the diagnosis of autism. Oxidative damage may play a central role in the pathogenesis of autism. Present study is an effort to search for possible biomarkers of autism and further clarify the molecular changes associated with oxidative stress that occurs in the plasma of autistic children. Methods: We performed redox proteomics analysis to compare carbonylated proteins in the plasma of autistic subjects and healthy controls. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis were used to validate carbonylated proteins identified by the redox proteomics. Results: Protein carbonylation levels in two proteins, complement component C8 alpha chain and Ig kappa chain C were found to be significantly increased in autistic patients compared with controls. These two proteins were successfully validated via immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. Conclusions: The results further highlight the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of autism and provide some information for the diagnosis and/or monitoring of autism.