Mothers of children with ASD exhibit differences in blood metabolites

Mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have altered levels of metabolites in their blood, according to a recent study. 

Kathyrn Hollowood-Jones and colleagues analyzed blood samples from 30 mothers of young children (two to five years of age) with ASD and 29 mothers of neurotypical children. The researchers detected differences in five subgroups of correlated metabolites. Many of the variances were linked to low levels of folate, vitamin B12, and carnitine-conjugated molecules. While carnitine is present in meat and can be produced by the body, the researchers say there was no correlation between mothers who ate more meat and mothers who had higher levels of carnitine. 

Study co-author Juergen Hahn comments that these differences may be related to how some mothers metabolize carnitine. “We had multiple metabolites that were associated with the carnitine metabolism,” he says. “This suggests that carnitine and mothers is something that should be looked at.” 

Previously, Hahn and his group identified patterns in metabolites in the blood of children with ASD that can be used to predict diagnosis. Based on their new findings, the researchers are now studying stored blood samples collected during pregnancy to determine if the differences in maternal metabolites are present then. 

Citations

“Altered metabolism of mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder: a case control study,” Kathryn Hollowood-Jones, James B. Adams, Devon M. Coleman, Sivapriya Ramamoorthy, Stepan Melnyk, S. Jill James, Bryan K. Woodruff, Elena L. Pollard, Christine L. Snozek, Uwe Kruger, Joshua Chuah, and Juergen Hahn, BMC Pediatrics, December 14, 2020 (free online). Address: Jim Adams, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 879309, ECG 302, 501 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, [email protected]. 

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“Mothers of children with autism found to have significantly different metabolite levels,” news release, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, January 13, 2021.