DECODING AUTISM:THE SCIENTIFIC LINK BETWEEN SALIVARY VITAMIN D3 LEVELS ANDNEURODEVELOPMENT-A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Objective: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors. Emerging evidence suggests a link between vitamin D3, vital for brain function, and ASD, though research on salivary vitamin D3 as a biomarker in ASD is limited. Aim:To compare salivary vitamin D3 levels between ASD patients and neurotypical individuals. Materials and Methods: This case-control study collected unstimulated saliva samples from ASD patients and neurotypical controls. Vitamin D3 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with paired t-tests for group comparisons Results: ASD patients had significantly lower salivary vitamin D3 levels than controls (p = 0.001), with ranges of 28.9–48.4 ng/mL in ASD versus 45.2–60.9 ng/mL in neurotypical individuals. Conclusion:ASD patients showed lower salivary vitamin D3, suggesting a potential association with vitamin D3 deficiency. Further research could explore the role of vitamin D3 in ASD and assess the benefits of monitoring and supplementation.