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Although the etiopathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not clear, immune dysfunction has been proposed as a mechanism for the pathophysiology of ASD. The purpose of this study is to examine serum levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and some adhesion molecules in children with ASD that have not been investigated previously in detail. The study group included 35 male children aged from 2 to 9 diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-V criteria. Soluble platelet endothelial adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1), P-selectin, E-selectin, and t-PA in the serum were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Autism behavior check list (ABC) is used for the assessment of ASD severity. The levels of t-PA (P = 0.025) and E-selectin (P = 0.007) was detected significantly higher in children with ASD than control group. Serum levels of sPECAM-1 showed statistically significant negative correlation with sensory, body and object-use, language, social, and self-help and total scores in the patient group (r = -0.349, P = 0.04; r = -0.411, P = 0.01; r = -0.412, P = 0.01; r = -0.417, P = 0.01, and r = -0.531, P

The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone in adolescents with first-episode early onset schizophrenia. A total of 23 adolescent patients, who did not receive prior therapy and who were diagnosed with psychosis according to DSM-IV, were included. Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, and Clinical Global Impression Scale were conducted with the participants. No significant differences were found between the patients and the control subjects in serum cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels (P > .05). Our study's findings do not support the hypothesis of increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in first-episode early onset schizophrenia.