highly significantp < 0.001
In the second analysis ( n = 39), comparison between group 1 and group 3 showed a highly significant difference (U = 36.00, Z = −3.96, p < 0.001), also surviving Bonferroni correction.
In the second analysis ( n = 39), comparison between group 1 and group 3 showed a highly significant difference (U = 36.00, Z = −3.96, p < 0.001), also surviving Bonferroni correction.
Boys had a higher mean rank than girls; this difference approached but did not reach statistical significance.
In adults with an ASD diagnosis, a similar situation was found as in the 5–17-year-olds, with the difference that VCAM-1 levels only showed a trend towards lower levels in ASD patients [ 19 , 20 ].
The result of comparing PGE2 levels in different groups: similarly, PGE2 levels showed an increasing trend; increased from Group 1 (M = 543.90 pg/mL, 95% CI [187.53, 900.27]) to Group 2 (M = 601.48 pg/mL, 95% CI [371.63, 831.34]) and Group 3 (M = 681.62 pg/mL, 95% CI [439.25, 924.00]); although variability remained high across all groups ( Figure 2 , Table 3 ).