Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior
Background: Multiple research teams have documented various abnormalities in erythrocyte properties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with neurotypical individuals. Reduced erythrocyte deformability, a crucial factor for microcirculation and oxygen delivery, may affect brain f...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Tomas Jasenovec Dominika Radosinska Ivan Belica Barbara Raskova Angelika Puzserova Norbert Vrbjar Jana Radosinska |
| author_facet | Tomas Jasenovec Dominika Radosinska Ivan Belica Barbara Raskova Angelika Puzserova Norbert Vrbjar Jana Radosinska |
| author_sort | Tomas Jasenovec |
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| description | Background: Multiple research teams have documented various abnormalities in erythrocyte properties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with neurotypical individuals. Reduced erythrocyte deformability, a crucial factor for microcirculation and oxygen delivery, may affect brain function. Other key factors like nitric oxide (NO) and Na,K-ATPase-regulated cation transport also play roles in both erythrocyte deformability and ASD, suggesting a possible relationship between erythrocyte parameters and autism severity. Thus, this study aims to describe these associations, exploring erythrocyte properties as potential biomarkers in ASD. Methods: A total of 179 ASD children were enrolled in this study. Diagnosis was confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Second Edition (ADOS-2) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (VABS-3), was used to assess adaptive behavior. RBC deformability was measured using a filtration technique, while NO production by RBCs was assessed via DAF-2DA fluorescence. Na,K-ATPase kinetics and RBC osmotic resistance were evaluated spectrophotometrically. Results: Children with more severe ASD symptoms had more impaired deformability and osmotic resistance than children with mild symptoms. Higher RBC NO production was linked to better scores in some VABS-3 subdomains, and in the social affect domain of ADOS-2. Higher affinity of Na,K-ATPase for sodium negatively correlated with the occurrence of repetitive and restricted behavior—one of the core ASD symptoms. Conclusions: This study identified potential links between ASD severity and RBC properties. While erythrocyte quality can influence ASD symptomatology, the observed relationships—such as those involving RBC deformability, NO production, Na,K-ATPase kinetics, and osmotic resistance—were not strong or consistent enough to be considered reliable diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e318921f28b34c2ea0bff2eb07b5406d2025-08-20T02:28:02ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592024-11-011211261910.3390/biomedicines12112619Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive BehaviorTomas Jasenovec0Dominika Radosinska1Ivan Belica2Barbara Raskova3Angelika Puzserova4Norbert Vrbjar5Jana Radosinska6Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 2, 811 08 Bratislava, SlovakiaInstitute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, SlovakiaInstitute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 2, 811 08 Bratislava, SlovakiaInstitute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 2, 811 08 Bratislava, SlovakiaCentre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, SlovakiaCentre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, SlovakiaInstitute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 2, 811 08 Bratislava, SlovakiaBackground: Multiple research teams have documented various abnormalities in erythrocyte properties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with neurotypical individuals. Reduced erythrocyte deformability, a crucial factor for microcirculation and oxygen delivery, may affect brain function. Other key factors like nitric oxide (NO) and Na,K-ATPase-regulated cation transport also play roles in both erythrocyte deformability and ASD, suggesting a possible relationship between erythrocyte parameters and autism severity. Thus, this study aims to describe these associations, exploring erythrocyte properties as potential biomarkers in ASD. Methods: A total of 179 ASD children were enrolled in this study. Diagnosis was confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Second Edition (ADOS-2) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (VABS-3), was used to assess adaptive behavior. RBC deformability was measured using a filtration technique, while NO production by RBCs was assessed via DAF-2DA fluorescence. Na,K-ATPase kinetics and RBC osmotic resistance were evaluated spectrophotometrically. Results: Children with more severe ASD symptoms had more impaired deformability and osmotic resistance than children with mild symptoms. Higher RBC NO production was linked to better scores in some VABS-3 subdomains, and in the social affect domain of ADOS-2. Higher affinity of Na,K-ATPase for sodium negatively correlated with the occurrence of repetitive and restricted behavior—one of the core ASD symptoms. Conclusions: This study identified potential links between ASD severity and RBC properties. While erythrocyte quality can influence ASD symptomatology, the observed relationships—such as those involving RBC deformability, NO production, Na,K-ATPase kinetics, and osmotic resistance—were not strong or consistent enough to be considered reliable diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/11/2619autism spectrum disorderADOS-2VABS-3erythrocyteserythrocyte deformabilitynitric oxide |
| spellingShingle | Tomas Jasenovec Dominika Radosinska Ivan Belica Barbara Raskova Angelika Puzserova Norbert Vrbjar Jana Radosinska Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior Biomedicines autism spectrum disorder ADOS-2 VABS-3 erythrocytes erythrocyte deformability nitric oxide |
| title | Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior |
| title_full | Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior |
| title_fullStr | Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior |
| title_short | Examining Erythrocytes as Potential Blood Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Their Relationship to Symptom Severity and Adaptive Behavior |
| title_sort | examining erythrocytes as potential blood biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder their relationship to symptom severity and adaptive behavior |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder ADOS-2 VABS-3 erythrocytes erythrocyte deformability nitric oxide |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/11/2619 |
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