Scientists find autism may be spotted early in children’s blood

EVIDENCE of autism in the blood of affected children has been discovered in a breakthrough that promises earlier testing and treatment.

A team at Warwick University found that those suffering from the developmental disorder were more likely to have damaged blood proteins.

Affecting around one in every 100 people in the UK, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in the early stages of development, because the symptoms vary widely depending on the patient.

The researchers recruited 38 children who were diagnosed with ASD along with a control group of 31 other children between five and 12 years old.

Blood and urine samples were taken for analysis, with chemical differences observed between the two groups.

The next research steps will be 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.

ASD mainly affects social interaction and communication, with symptoms that can include speech disturbances, repetitive and/or compulsive behaviour, hyperactivity, anxiety, and difficulty adapting to new environments.

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.

Dr Naila Rabbani, who led the research, said: “Our discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention and may help us improve diagnosis and point the way to new causes of ASD.”

The research has been published in the journal Molecular Autism.