Katharina Buczek
Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), encompasses a wide range of conditions “characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication,” according to Autism Speaks.
One subtype of Autism, known as Maternal Autoantibody-related Autism Spectrum Disorder (MAR ASD), refers to the presence of maternal immune proteins that react with specific fetal brain proteins.
In other words, the maternal proteins from a pregnant mother cross through the placenta and reach the developing baby’s brain– resulting in autism-linked behaviors following birth.
The MIND Institute at the University of California Davis recently conducted two new studies in hopes of furthering our understanding of this autism subtype.
Judy Van de Water, a professor of immunology and neurodevelopment at the university, first found that autoantibody binding with nine distinct protein combinations will successfully predict autism in children who were previously diagnosed.
To do this, Water and her team tested blood samples from expectant mothers and compared them against identified MAR ASD patterns.
Children with MAR ASD also tend to have a greater frequency of autistic characteristics.
The researchers also discovered that mothers with reactivity to any of the nine identified MAR ASD patterns are eight times more likely to birth a child with autism. This study was published in Molecular Psychiatry.
The second study, conducted by associate professor of developmental-behavior pediatrics Kathleen Angkustsiri, was published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.
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