Researchers from the University of Warwick in Britain say they have been able to detect some damage in blood plasma proteins autistic children. Specifically, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher levels of diterosine in their blood as well as certain sugar-modified compounds called AGEs (Advanced glycation end-products). This discovery raises the possibility of a biological test that would detect the disease at an early stage.
A study of 38 children with autism spectrum disorder
For this research, the British scientists worked with researchers from the University of Bologna in Italy. They recruited 38 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and a control group of 31 other children aged 5 to 12.
Blood and urine samples were taken for analysis, which revealed chemical differences between the two groups.
The next step will be to repeat this research with other groups of children to confirm good diagnostic performance and to assess whether a test can identify ASDs at an early stage.
This study was published in the journal Molecular autism.
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