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Alhazmi S, Alharthi M, Alzahrani M, Alrofaidi A, Basingab F, Almuhammadi A, Alkhatabi H, Ashi A, Chaudhary A, Elaimi A. Copy number variations in autistic children. Biomed Rep 2024; 21:107. [PMID: 38868529 PMCID: PMC11168027 DOI: 10.3892/br.2024.1795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests as a neurodevelopmental condition marked by challenges in social communication, interaction and the performing of repetitive behaviors. The prevalence of autism increases markedly on an annual basis; however, the etiology remains incompletely understood. Cytogenetically visible chromosomal abnormalities, including copy number variations (CNVs), have been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD. More than 1% of ASD conditions can be explained based on a known genetic locus, whereas CNVs account for 5-10% of cases. However, there are no studies on the Saudi Arabian population for the detection of CNVs linked to ASD, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of CNVs in autistic Saudi Arabian children. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 14 autistic children along with four healthy control children and then array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was used to detect CNVs. Bioinformatics analysis of the aCGH results showed the presence of recurrent and non-recurrent deletion/duplication CNVs in several regions of the genome of autistic children. The most frequent CNVs were 1q21.2, 3p26.3, 4q13.2, 6p25.3, 6q24.2, 7p21.1, 7q34, 7q11.1, 8p23.2, 13q32.3, 14q11.1-q11.2 and 15q11.1-q11.2. In the present study, CNVs in autistic Saudi Arabian children were identified to improve the understanding of the etiology of autism and facilitate its diagnosis. Additionally, the present study identified certain possible pathogenic genes in the CNV region associated with several developmental and neurogenetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safiah Alhazmi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Immunology Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Neuroscience and Geroscience Research Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Central Laboratory of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maram Alharthi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Alzahrani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Alrofaidi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatemah Basingab
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Immunology Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Almuhammadi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba Alkhatabi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Hematology Research Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abrar Ashi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adeel Chaudhary
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Elaimi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
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NMR-Based Metabolomics of Rat Hippocampus, Serum, and Urine in Two Models of Autism. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:5452-5475. [PMID: 35715683 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02912-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are increasingly diagnosed as developmental disabilities of unclear etiology related to genetic, epigenetic, or environmental factors. The diagnosis of ASD in children is based on the recognition of typical behavioral symptoms, while no reliable biomarkers are available. Rats in whom ASD-like symptoms are due to maternal administration of the teratogenic drugs valproate or thalidomide on critical day 11 of pregnancy are widely used models in autism research. The present studies, aimed at detecting changes in the levels of hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites, were carried out on 1-month-old rats belonging to the abovementioned two ASD models and on a control group. Analysis of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolite levels gives a broader view of possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of autism. Hippocampal proton magnetic resonance (MRS) spectroscopy and ex vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of serum and urine samples were used. The results were analyzed using advanced statistical tests. Both the results of our present MRS studies of the hippocampus and of the NMR studies of body fluids in both ASD models, particularly from the THAL model, appeared to be consistent with previously published NMR results of hippocampal homogenates and data from the literature on autistic children. We detected symptoms of disturbances in neurotransmitter metabolism, energy deficit, and oxidative stress, as well as intestinal malfunction, which shed light on the pathogenesis of ASD and could be used for diagnostic purposes. These results confirm the usefulness of the noninvasive techniques used in ASD studies.
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Gasser BA, Kurz J, Dick B, Mohaupt MG. A reply to 'Alteration of steroidogenesis in boys with autism spectrum disorders'. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:278. [PMID: 33972510 PMCID: PMC8111024 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01393-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Johann Kurz
- Intersci Research Association, Karl Morre Gasse 10, 8430 Leibnitz, Austria
| | - Bernhard Dick
- grid.5734.50000 0001 0726 5157Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
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