The types of gut bugs children harbor may be linked to autism and could potentially contribute to the development of the condition, a new study claims.
Through fecal samples, the researchers investigated the gut bugs of 1,627 male and female children aged between one and 13, including some diagnosed with autism.
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They identified 14 archaea, which are similar to bacteria, along with 51 bacteria, seven fungi, 18 viruses, 27 microbial genes, and 12 altered metabolic pathways in children with autism.
Using AI, the scientists then investigated whether the presence of 31 different bugs or functions could predict whether a child had autism, and found this had a higher diagnostic accuracy than just looking at one type of bug, such as bacteria, alone.
Therefore, a test diagnosing autism could potentially be developed by evaluating the presence and composition of these 31 bugs in children, the authors claim.
"What is exciting about this study is that it opens up the possibility of investigating specific biochemical pathways and their impact on different autistic features," Professor Bhismadev Chakrabarti, research director of the Centre for Autism at the University of Reading said in a statement.
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"It could also provide new ways of detecting autism, if microbial markers turn out to strengthen the ability of genetic and behavioural tests to detect autism. A future platform that can combine genetic, microbial, and simple behavioural assessments could help address the detection gap.
"With the results of this study, the lens through which we view microbiota within autism has definitely broadened. There is even a possibility to use multi-kingdom microbial markers to aid in autism diagnosis."
The connection between the gut microbiome and autism has been a subject of previous research but has primarily focused on shifts in the composition of gut bacteria in individuals with autism compared to neurotypical individuals.
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However, the potential impact of other components of the gut microbiome, such as archaea, fungi, and viruses, as well as the functional aspects of the microbiome remains unclear.
"This study broadens our understanding by including fungi, archaea, and viruses, where previous studies have largely focused on the role of gut bacteria in autism. The results are broadly in line with previous studies that show reduced microbial diversity in autistic individuals," Chakrabarti added.
"It also examines one of the largest samples seen in a study like this, which further strengthens the results. This is a well designed and executed project that accounted for a range of confounding factors and validated the results in multiple independent samples. One limitation of this data is that it cannot assess any causal role for the microbiota, in the development of autism."
The study authors acknowledge limitations in the study such as the absence of analysis assessing how an individual's genetic makeup might influence their microbiome.
However, they believe their research can serve as a guide for further exploration into the gut microbiota and its potential association with autism.
The fecal samples were analyzed alongside data on additional factors including diet, medication and co-morbidity.
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About the writer
Isabel Cameron is a Science Reporter at Newsweek, based in London, U.K. She has covered a range of health topics ... Read more
