BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder with heterogeneous etiology and wide clinical severity which supports the needs of recognizing biological and clinical features in patient subsets. The present study aimed to understand possible associations between the hair levels of metals and essential elements and some specific features of ASD measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) that represents the gold-standard instrument to objectively confirm ASD diagnosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in the province of Catania (Sicily, South Italy). Forty-eight subjects with ASD (70.8% male), aged from 2 to 17 years were studied. Metals (Li, Be, Al, Ni, As, Mo, Cd, Hg, U, Pb) and essential trace elements (Cr, Co, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se) were quantified in hair by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. Participants were characterized by measuring the severity of autism symptoms and cognitive levels. RESULTS: A significant and positive correlation was found between hair metal burden (lead, aluminum, arsenic and cadmium levels) and severity of ASD symptoms (social communication deficits and repetitive, restrictive behaviors). Hair zinc level were inversely related with age while there was a negative, significant association between hair zinc level and severity of autistic symptoms (defective functional play and creativity and increase of stereotyped behavior). Lead, molybdenum and manganese hair levels were inversely correlated with cognitive level (full intelligence quotient) in ASD individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests the importance to combine metallomics analysis with pertinent disease features in ASD to identify potential environmental risk factors on an individual level possibly in the early developmental period.

Metal and essential element levels in hair and association with autism severity

Fiore M
Primo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Barone R
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Copat C
Data Curation
;
Grasso A
Formal Analysis
;
Cristaldi A
Formal Analysis
;
Rizzo R
Penultimo
Supervision
;
Ferrante M.
Ultimo
Supervision
2020-01-01

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder with heterogeneous etiology and wide clinical severity which supports the needs of recognizing biological and clinical features in patient subsets. The present study aimed to understand possible associations between the hair levels of metals and essential elements and some specific features of ASD measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) that represents the gold-standard instrument to objectively confirm ASD diagnosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in the province of Catania (Sicily, South Italy). Forty-eight subjects with ASD (70.8% male), aged from 2 to 17 years were studied. Metals (Li, Be, Al, Ni, As, Mo, Cd, Hg, U, Pb) and essential trace elements (Cr, Co, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se) were quantified in hair by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. Participants were characterized by measuring the severity of autism symptoms and cognitive levels. RESULTS: A significant and positive correlation was found between hair metal burden (lead, aluminum, arsenic and cadmium levels) and severity of ASD symptoms (social communication deficits and repetitive, restrictive behaviors). Hair zinc level were inversely related with age while there was a negative, significant association between hair zinc level and severity of autistic symptoms (defective functional play and creativity and increase of stereotyped behavior). Lead, molybdenum and manganese hair levels were inversely correlated with cognitive level (full intelligence quotient) in ASD individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests the importance to combine metallomics analysis with pertinent disease features in ASD to identify potential environmental risk factors on an individual level possibly in the early developmental period.
2020
Metals Trace elements Autism Severity
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
MedicineandBiology.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Main Text
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Dimensione 462.02 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
462.02 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/373581
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 26
  • Scopus 61
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 53
social impact