Maternal Autoantibodies as predictive biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder (R-9518)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 59 individuals. Behavioural symptoms become apparent in early childhood, manifested by repetitive behaviours and by defects in social interactions and communication skills. However, since current surveillance programmes are mainly based on recognizing these behavioural symptoms, they are often failing to identify children at risk for ASD, thereby missing opportunities for early diagnosis and intervention. Recent studies have shown an association between the presence of maternal autoantibodies with reactivity against fetal brain proteins and the development of ASD in the child later in life. This study is part of a project aimed at the identification of novel autoantibodies in maternal plasma and the assessment of their value as biomarkers to assist in ASD diagnosis in children.

Keywords:AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, immunoglobulin, neurodevelopment, prenatal

Disciplines:Developmental neuroscience