A novel blood-based biomarker for detection of autism spectrum disorders

[Guest guest]

Rehearser at Linnaeus University in Sweden developed a kit to diagnose autism

from blood sample.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309533/

N Momeni,1 J Bergquist,2 L Brudin,3 F Behnia,4 B Sivberg,5 M T Joghataei,6 and B

L Persson1,*

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are classified as neurological developmental

disorders. Several studies have been carried out to find a candidate biomarker

linked to the development of these disorders, but up to date no reliable

biomarker is available. Mass spectrometry techniques have been used for protein

profiling of blood plasma of children with such disorders in order to identify

proteins/peptides that may be used as biomarkers for detection of the disorders.

Three differentially expressed peptides with mass–charge (m/z) values of 2020±1,

1864±1 and 1978±1 Da in the heparin plasma of children with ASD that were

significantly changed as compared with the peptide pattern of the non-ASD

control group are reported here. This novel set of biomarkers allows for a

reliable blood-based diagnostic tool that may be used in diagnosis and

potentially, in prognosis of ASD.