Autism-specific maternal anti-fetal brain autoantibodies are associated with metabolic conditions.
Paula Krakowiak, Cheryl K Walker, Daniel Tancredi and 2 others
PMID 27312731WHAT IT FOUND
Among mothers of children with autism, metabolic conditions were not significantly linked to autism-specific maternal antibodies against fetal brain proteins overall.
In the subgroup with severe child symptoms, gestational diabetes was associated with greater likelihood of these antibodies.
Key findings
01ASD-specific autoantibodies were more prevalent among mothers with diabetes, hypertensive disorders, or moderate overweight than among healthy mothers, but these differences were not statistically significant.
02In the severe-ASD subset, mothers with type 2 or gestational diabetes were 2.7 times more likely to be antibody-positive than healthy women (prevalence ratio 2.66, 95% CI 1.07, 6.63).
03In sensitivity analyses, all 3 mothers with both gestational diabetes and preeclampsia were antibody-positive, while 7 of 58 healthy mothers were antibody-positive.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The main analysis in all 227 mothers did not show a statistically significant difference, so the positive diabetes finding came from a subgroup of 145 mothers of children with severe ASD. Antibody blood samples were collected after pregnancy, so the study cannot show that metabolic conditions came before antibody production. The number of antibody-positive mothers was small, so rare conditions and combinations of metabolic conditions could not be examined. Some metabolic conditions were based on maternal report, and the study could not account for diet, physical activity, or treatment that may affect metabolism. Unmeasured genetic or environmental factors may have caused both metabolic conditions and antibody status. Obesity and moderate overweight were compared as separate groups, and the authors note possible misclassification of BMI.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the gestational diabetes subgroup result as proof that metabolic conditions cause autism-specific antibodies or autism. The main analysis was not significant, antibody samples were collected after pregnancy, and the subgroup was smaller.