Genetic Markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders Identified

18 new and highly significant genetic markers for autism spectrum disorders has been discovered.

Researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences divided individuals with ASD into four subtypes according to similarity of symptoms and reanalyzing existing genome-wide genetic data on these individuals vs. controls.

Autism Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically characterized by impaired social and communication skills combined with repetitive movements.

In addition, ten of the variants were associated with more than one ASD subtype, providing partial replication of these genetic markers.

This study thus identifies candidate genes for ASD and potential subtype-dependent genetic markers for diagnostic screening.

The findings demonstrate the increased statistical power to identify significant genetic variants when subtyping reduces the heterogeneity of the samples tested and further begin to associate genotype with phenotype.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment-FAQ
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that affects normal behavior and impairs the ability to concentrate.

The researchers first identified genetic variants or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with the degree of severity of various different autistic traits, and then they performed case-control genetic association analyses using these variants and subgroups of autistic individuals who share similar symptoms.

This helped the researchers to identify the 18 genetic markers that are associated with four subtypes of ASD, 10 of which were associated with more than one ASD subtype.

Molecular Anomalies in a Crucial Brain Protein Linked to Autism Spectrum Disorders
Scientists have found molecular anomalies in an important brain protein due to gene mutation which may cause autism spectrum disorders.

The study was recently published in the journal PLoS ONE.

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No Link Between MMR Jab and Autism Spectrum Disorders
There is no evidence for a link between the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) jab and autism, finds research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.