| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2809322 | Nutrition Research | 2010 | 6 Pages |
We hypothesize that autism is associated with alterations in the plasma lipid profile and that some lipid fractions in autistic boys may be significantly different than those of healthy boys. A matched case control study was conducted with 29 autistic boys (mean age, 10.1 ± 1.3 years) recruited from a school for disabled children and 29 comparable healthy boys from a neighboring elementary school in South Korea. Fasting plasma total cholesterol (T-Chol), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the LDL/HDL ratio, and 1-day food intakes were measured. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association between autism and various lipid fractions. The mean TG level (102.4 ± 52.4 vs 70.6 ± 36.3; P = .01) was significantly higher, whereas the mean HDL-C level (48.8 ± 11.9 vs 60.5 ± 10.9 mg/dL; P = .003) was significantly lower in cases as compared to controls. There was no significant difference in T-Chol and LDL-C levels between cases and controls. The LDL/HDL ratio was significantly higher in cases as compared to controls. Multiple regression analyses indicated that autism was significantly associated with plasma TG (β = 31.7 ± 11.9; P = .01), HDL (β = −11.6 ± 2.1; P = .0003), and the LDL/HDL ratio (β = 0.40 ± 0.18; P = .04). There was a significant interaction between autism and TG level in relation to plasma HDL level (P = .02). Fifty-three percent of variation in the plasma HDL was explained by autism, plasma TG, LDL/HDL ratio, and the interaction between autism and plasma TG level. These results indicate the presence of dyslipidemia in boys with autism and suggest a possibility that dyslipidemia might be a marker of association between lipid metabolism and autism.
