Less Sensitivity to Hormone May Play Role in Autism
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A new genetic signature that's strongly associated with autism has been identified by U.S. researchers, who said the finding may lead to new ways to diagnose and treat the disorder.
This genetic signature doesn't involve changes to DNA sequence itself, but rather to the way that genes are switched on and off, said the team from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. They found that people with autism have a higher-than-normal number of gene-regulating molecules called methyl groups in a region of the genome that regulates oxytocin receptor expression.
"In both blood samples and brain tissue, the methylation status of specific nucleotides in the oxytocin receptor gene is significantly higher in someone with autism, about 70 percent, compared to the control population, where it is about 40 percent," study co-lead author Simon G. Gregory, an assistant professor in the Duke department of medicine, said in a university news release.
Oxytocin is a hormone that affects social interaction. Previous research found that giving oxytocin to people with autism can improve their ability to socialize.
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How interesting to see a hormonal tie to Autism...