Maternal Dyslipidemia, Plasma Branched-Chain Amino Acids, and the Risk of Child Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence of Sex Difference

Anita A. Panjwani, Yuelong Ji, Jed W. Fahey, Amanda Palmer, Guoying Wang, Xiumei Hong, Barry Zuckerman, Xiaobin Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

In contrast to the well-observed associations between obesity, diabetes, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the roles of maternal dyslipidemia and sex disparity in ASD have not been well-studied. We examined the joint associations of maternal plasma cholesterols, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and child sex on child ASD risk. We analyzed data from 756 mother-infant pairs (86 ASD) from the Boston Birth Cohort. Maternal plasma cholesterols and BCAAs were measured in samples collected 24–72 h postpartum. We found that in this urban, low-income prospective birth cohort, low maternal high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), above-median maternal plasma BCAA concentrations, and male sex additively or synergistically increased risk of ASD. Additional studies are necessary to confirm our findings.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)540-550
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume50
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2020

Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Branched-chain amino acids
  • Maternal cholesterols
  • Metabolomics
  • Pre- and perinatal risk factors
  • Sex differences

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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