Urine test may aid in spotting children at high odds for autism

A simple urine test may be able to identify children at high likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to researchers in the United States and United Kingdom.

Christina Flynn and colleagues measured the concentrations of microbial metabolites—molecules produced by microorganisms in the gut—in 52 children diagnosed with ASD and 47 neurotypical children. The children were between two and 11 years of age, and lived in four different areas across the United States.

The researchers found that nearly all children with ASD had at least one metabolite level exceeding the highest level observed in controls, and some levels were 100 to 1,000 times higher than in controls. Overall, they say, “Twenty-three of 24 microbially derived metabolites were statistically significantly higher in ASD than in typically developing participants.” Metabolites found in elevated levels included a number that are involved in the serotonin, dopamine, or melatonin pathways or have a connection with yeast activity.

The researchers say their urine test correctly identified 90 percent of the children with ASD, and did not incorrectly identify any neurotypical children as autistic. Based on their results, they propose a new subtype of ASD they call “ASD associated with microbially-derived metabolites,” or ASD-MDM.

If future research confirms the urine test’s efficacy, the researchers say, it could aid in early diagnosis and help lead to the development of treatment strategies aimed at establishing a healthy microbiome.

Citations

“Elevated microbially-derived metabolites in autism: a possible diagnostic screening test for a distinct ASD phenotype,” Christina K. Flynn, Kevin Carr, Paul Whiteley, Khemlal Nirmalkar, Andrew Bellinghiere, Juergen Hahn, Hongbin Liu, Halil Arici, Laura Hewitson, Morgan Devlin, Elena L. Pollard, Khyatiben V. Pathak, Krystine Garcia Mansfield, Anakaren Rosales Torres, Patrick Pirrotte, Daniel B. Kalb, Rebekah Keen, Victoria Kenyon, Alessio Fasano, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, James B. Adams, and Sarah Kadzielski, Molecular Psychiatry, May 26, 2026 (free online). Address: James Adams, Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, [email protected].

—and—

“New urine test may spot autism risk in children ages two to 11, study finds,” news release, Sandy Keaton Leander, Arizona State University, May 27, 2026.