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A team
at University of Warwick led the research. Photograph: Paul Cooper
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Scientists have developed a blood and urine test
that can detect autism in children. Researchers at the University of Warwick said the
test, believed to be the first of its kind, could lead to earlier diagnosis of
autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children who could then be given appropriate
treatment much earlier in their lives.
ASDs mainly affect a person’s social interaction
and communication, with symptoms that can include speech disturbances,
repetitive and/or compulsive behaviour, hyperactivity, anxiety, and difficulty adapting
to new environments.
As there is a wide range of ASD symptoms,
diagnosis can be difficult and uncertain, particularly at the early stages of
development. It is estimated that around one in every 100
people in the UK has ASD, with more boys diagnosed with the condition than
girls.
Scientists said their research found a link
between ASD and damage to proteins in blood plasma. They found the most reliable of the tests they
developed was examining protein in blood plasma, which found children with ASD
had higher levels of the oxidation marker dityrosine (DT) and certain sugar-modified
compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
Genetic causes are thought to be responsible for
around a third of cases of ASD, while the rest are believed to be caused by a
combination of environmental factors, mutations, and rare genetic variants.
But researchers believe their new tests could
reveal yet to be identified causes of ASD. They also confirmed the previously held belief
that mutations of amino acid transporters are a genetic variant associated with
ASD.
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It is estimated that
around one in every 100 people in the UK has ASD, with more boys diagnosed with
the condition than girls Emmanuel Fradin for Spectrum
|
The Warwick team worked with collaborators at the
University of Bologna in Italy, who recruited 38 children who were diagnosed
with ASD along with a control group of 31 other children between the ages of
five and 12. Blood and urine samples were taken from the children for analysis.
The Warwick team discovered there were chemical
differences between the two groups. Working with a further collaborator at the
University of Birmingham, the changes in multiple compounds were combined
together using artificial intelligence algorithm techniques to develop a
mathematical equation to distinguish between ASD and healthy controls. The
outcome was a diagnostic test better than any method currently available.
They said the next steps are to repeat the study
with further groups of children to confirm the good diagnostic performance and
to assess if the test can identify ASD at very early stages, indicate how the
ASD is likely to develop further to more severe disease and assess if
treatments are working.
The research was led by Dr Naila Rabbani, reader
of experimental systems biology at the University of Warwick, who said: “Our
discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention.
“We hope the tests will also reveal new causative
factors.
“With further testing we may reveal specific plasma
and urinary profiles or ‘fingerprints’ of compounds with damaging
modifications. This may help us improve the diagnosis of ASD and point the way
to new causes of ASD.”
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A
blood sample (Image: Getty)
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The research has been
published in the journal Molecular Autism.
Originally published on DAILY MAIL UK WIRES
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