The Role of Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment

Autism spectrum disorder is an important health problem with no known single cause. There is a vast number of evidence showing the important role of oxidative stress in that disorder. The article's authors made the current literature research to summarize knowledge on that topic. In this paper the role of oxidative stress was studied in the context of its influence on pathogenesis, using oxidative stress biomarkers as diagnostic tools and use of antioxidants in ASD treatment. There is growing data on the involvement of oxidative stress in ASD pathogenesis as well as its direct effect and also by its interlay with inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress biomarkers seem to have good potential to be used as diagnostic tools supporting early ASD diagnosis. Antioxidants show good potential in ASD-supportive treatment. In all described fields data support the importance of oxidative stress but also a need for further research.