Latest research suggests the risk of autism in pregnant women

Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, led by Juergen Hahn, professor and head of biomedical engineering, continue to make remarkable progress in their research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A recent article by Hahn and Jill James of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in the journal Research on autism spectrum disorders discusses their work on prediction with a precision of about 90 percent if a pregnant woman has a 1.7% or ten times higher risk of having a child with ASD.

Currently, there is no test for pregnant women that can predict the likelihood of having a child who will be diagnosed with an ASD. Recent estimates indicate that if a mother has ever had a child with ASD, the risk of having a second child with ASD is about 18.7%, while the risk of ASD in the population general is about 1.7%.

"However," said Hahn, a member of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, "it would be highly desirable that a prediction based on physiological measurements could be made to determine which risk group a future mother might have. ".

Hahn's work in the development of a physiological test to predict autism risk puts the spotlight on Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative diseases at the Biotechnology Center and at the Center for Biotechnology. Interdisciplinary studies, and shows how the interdisciplinary interface of Life Sciences and Engineering Human Health.

In this study, folate-dependent metabolites of folate-dependent transmethylation and transsulfuration pathways in pregnant women were measured to determine whether their metabolic profile could predict the risk of having an autistic child. Pregnant women who had an autistic child before were divided into two groups based on their child's diagnosis, whether autistic or not. Then, these mothers were compared to a group of control mothers who had never had autism before.

The researchers concluded that it was not possible to determine during pregnancy whether a child was diagnosed with ASD at age 3, but that differences in plasma metabolites were indicative of relative risk (18.7%). % vs. 1.7%). a child with ASD.

"These are exciting results because they suggest differences in some metabolic processes that could play a role in increasing the risk of having a child with ASD," Hahn said.

In addition to the lead authors, Juergen Hahn of Rensselaer and Jill James of UAMS, this work included collaborators from Rensselaer, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas. MIND Institute of UC Davis University.

This new research follows a previous study published in 2017 that developed an algorithm based on the levels of metabolites found in a blood sample that can accurately predict whether a child is autistic. A follow-up study in the spring was also very promising to determine if a child has autism spectrum. These results could lead to earlier diagnosis of ASD and efforts are underway to develop a commercially available test based on these results.

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