Risk of Autoimmune Disease in Research-Identified Cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Birth Cohort Study.
Veronica R Villarreal, Maja Z Katusic, Scott M Myers and 3 others
PMID 38364086WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease by age 30 than their peers.
This means clinicians should watch for signs of conditions like diabetes or alopecia in patients with autism.
Key findings
01Individuals who met research criteria for ASD were significantly more likely to have an autoimmune disease compared to the referents.
02By 30 years of age, the cumulative incidence of having at least one autoimmune disease was 5.3% versus 3.4% among male ASD cases versus male referents and 8.8% versus 4.8% among female ASD cases versus female referents.
03Patients with ASD should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of autoimmune disease and appropriate referral and workup should be initiated when indicated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study population was less racially diverse than the general US population, which may limit generalizability. The number of participants with both ASD and an autoimmune condition was relatively small. ASD diagnosis was based on retrospective record review rather than direct in-person evaluation. The study only tracked the first autoimmune disease until age 35, potentially missing conditions that develop later in life. Autoimmune disease identification relied on diagnosis codes, which could lead to misclassification.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this association as evidence that immunotherapies or immune-modulating medications should be used to treat ASD symptoms. The study explicitly states that no causal link was proven and that immune therapies should only be used for clinically diagnosed autoimmune diseases, not for autism itself.