Blood Biomarker Discovery for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author Information
Author(s): Hewitson Laura, Mathews Jeremy A., Devlin Morgan, Schutte Claire, Lee Jeon, German Dwight C.
Primary Institution: The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development, Austin, TX, United States of America
Hypothesis
Can a panel of serum proteins serve as a blood biomarker for identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in boys?
Conclusion
The study identified a panel of 12 proteins that may serve as an effective blood biomarker for diagnosing ASD in boys.
Supporting Evidence
- Proteomic analysis revealed 86 downregulated and 52 upregulated proteins in ASD.
- AUC for the panel of 12 proteins was 0.8790, indicating good diagnostic accuracy.
- Four proteins were significantly correlated with ASD severity as measured by ADOS scores.
- Ethnicity was significantly associated with certain protein counts in the study.
Takeaway
Researchers found 12 proteins in the blood that can help tell if a boy has autism, which could make it easier to diagnose early.
Methodology
Serum samples from 76 boys with ASD and 78 typically developing boys were analyzed using the SOMAScanTM platform to identify protein biomarkers.
Potential Biases
The study may have biases due to the subjective nature of behavioral assessments and the exclusion of certain demographics.
Limitations
The study only included boys, which limits gender-specific analysis, and a larger validation study is needed.
Participant Demographics
Participants were 76 boys with ASD and 78 typically developing boys, aged 2-10 years, with a diverse ethnic background.
Statistical Information
P-Value
1.3837e-08
Confidence Interval
0.8790±0.0572
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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