Peripheral blood inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis

This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis of 264 studies examined inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers in autism, finding that inflammatory markers (particularly TNF-α and IL-6) showed stronger associations with ASD than metabolic markers, though effect sizes were modest and prediction intervals crossed zero. The authors emphasize methodological limitations and varying certainty levels, avoiding overstated conclusions about immune-metabolic mechanisms in autism.