Total cholesterol and triglycerides status in autistic spectrum disorder children: a case-control study on Bangladeshi children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20240833Keywords:
Total cholesterol, Triglycerides, Autistic spectrum disorder, ASD, Calcium, MagnesiumAbstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. The association between lipid profiles, particularly total cholesterol and triglycerides, and ASD in children is a growing focus in pediatric health research. This study aimed to assess the total cholesterol and triglycerides status in autistic spectrum disorder children.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of physiology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka from March 2014 to January 2015 with 100 male children, half in a healthy control group (group A) and the other half diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (group B).
Results: In this study, no significant correlation was found between the groups for age (p=0.94) or BMI (p=0.29). The mean (±SE) serum total cholesterol levels were 146±1.70 mg/dl in group A and 145.00±3.77 mg/dl in group B, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.885). But, the mean (±SE) serum triglyceride levels were 86.14±3.28 mg/dl in group A and 107.74±7.91 mg/dl in group B, with significantly higher levels compared to group A (p<0.01).
Conclusions: Although there is no significant difference in serum total cholesterol levels between healthy children and those with autistic spectrum disorder, there is a significant difference in serum triglyceride levels. Therefore, further studies are needed to provide a clearer understanding of the lipid profile comparison.
References
Manzi B, Loizzo AL, Giana G, Curatolo P. Autism and metabolic diseases. J Neurol. 2008;23(3):307-14.
American Psychiatric Association 1994. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders, 4th edition. Available at: https://ajp.psychiatry online.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.152.8.1228. Accessed on 02 January 2024.
Yeargin-Allsopp M, Rice C, Karapurkar T, Doernberg N, Boyle C, Murphy C. Prevalence of autism in a US metropolitan area. JAMA. 2003;289(1):49-55.
Aneja A, Tierney E. Autism: the role of cholesterol in treatment. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2008;20(2):165-7.
DiCicco-Bloom E, Lord C, Zwaigenbaum L, Courchesne E, Dager SR, Schmitz C, et al. The developmental neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder. J Neurosci. 2006 Jun 28;26(26):6897-906.
Pastural E, Ritchie S, Lu Y, Jin W, Kavianpour A, Khine Su-Myat K, et al. Novel plasma phospholipid biomarkers of autism: mitochondrial dysfunction as a putative causative mechanism. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009;81(4):253-64.
Clark-Taylor T, Clark-Taylor BE. Is autism a disorder of fatty acid metabolism? Possible dysfunction of mitochondrial beta-oxidation by long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62(6):970-5.
Tierney E, Bukelis I, Thompson RE, Ahmed K, Aneja A, Kratz L, et al. Abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism in autism spectrum disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2006;141B(6):666-8.
Kim EK, Neggers YH, Shin CS, Kim E, Kim EM. Alterations in lipid profile of autistic boys: a case control study. Nutr Res. 2010;30(4):255-60.
Curtis LT, Patel K. Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(1):79-85.
Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced serum levels of 25-hydroxy and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D in Egyptian children with autism. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(6):641-5.
El-Ansary AK, Ben Bacha AG, Al-Ayadhi LY. Proinflammatory and proapoptotic markers in relation to mono and di-cations in plasma of autistic patients from Saudi Arabia. J Neuroinflammation. 2011;8:142.
El-Ansary A, Al-Daihan S, Al-Dbass A, Al-Ayadhi L. Measurement of selected ions related to oxidative stress and energy metabolism in Saudi autistic children. Clin Biochem. 2010;43(1-2):63-70.
Castaldo P, Cataldi M, Magi S, Lariccia V, Arcangeli S, Amoroso S. Role of the mitochondrial sodium/calcium exchanger in neuronal physiology and in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. Prog Neurobiol. 2009;87(1):58-79.
Lozoff B, Jimenez E, Wolf AW. Long-term developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency. N Engl J Med. 1991;325(10):687-94.
Oski FA. Iron deficiency in infancy and childhood. N Engl J Med. 1993;329(3):190-3.
Dziobek I, Gold SM, Wolf OT, Convit A. Hypercholesterolemia in Asperger syndrome: independence from lifestyle, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and social anxiety. Psychiatry Res. 2007;149(1-3):321-4.
Strambi M, Longini M, Hayek J, Berni S, Macucci F, Scalacci E, et al. Magnesium profile in autism. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2006;109(2):97-104.
Wiest MM, German JB, Harvey DJ, Watkins SM, Hertz-Picciotto I. Plasma fatty acid profiles in autism: a case-control study. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009;80(4):221-7.
Kurup RK, Kurup PA. A hypothalamic digoxin-mediated model for autism. Int J Neurosci. 2003;113(11):1537-59.
Sikora DM, Pettit-Kekel K, Penfield J, Merkens LS, Steiner RD. The near universal presence of autism spectrum disorders in children with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2006;140(14):1511-8.
Sun C, Xia W, Zhao Y, Li N, Zhao D, Wu L. Nutritional status survey of children with autism and typically developing children aged 4-6 years in Heilongjiang Province, China. J Nutr Sci. 2013;2:e16.
Yasuda H, Yasuda Y, Tsutsui T. Estimation of autistic children by metallomics analysis. Sci Rep. 2013;3:1199.