FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A gene variation associated with an increased risk of autism in boys has been identified by scientists.
Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to be affected by autism.
In this study, U.S. researchers analyzed genomic data from more than 3,000 children with autism and their family members, as well as children without autism.
The results showed a link between a variation in the gene for transducin beta-like 1X-linked (TBL1X) and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in boys. TBL1X is part of the Wnt-signaling pathway involved in the system that controls embryonic neurological development and the maintenance of brain function in adults.
The study is published in the Nov. 3 online edition of the journal Molecular Autism.
"The [variation] in TBL1X is associated with an increase in risk for ASD of about 15 percent. This could reflect either an unidentified rare mutation (or mutations), which has large impact, or a more common change with a more subtle effect, on the development of ASD," study leader Eden Martin, of the Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a journal news release.
"Further study of TBL1X will help us to pinpoint the DNA changes involved and help us to understand exactly how these changes and the Wnt-signaling pathway is involved in ASD," Martin added.
Autism affects about one in 110 children and can cause problems in language, communication and understanding other people's emotional cues.
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I thought this was interesting considering Steve's nephew is autistic as well as my ex's nephew. I am lucky that both my children are fine. I don't know how raising an autistic child would be like. I know that both nephews annoy me, more my ex's because his mother refused to punish him, although I know there is a time and place for punishment, even with autistic children. I used to go insane because this kid would be loud and rude and straight up undisciplined. I don't really know my soon-to-be nephew that well, but he is at least disciplined, if slightly on the annoying edge. He asks Steve three questions whenever they see each other, the same three. "How tall are you?" "What's your shoe size?" and "What kind of truck do you drive?" although the first two answers have never changed and the last has only changed once. I find it amusing and luckily I can understand so when he questioned me I was able to step back and realize he wasn't trying to be annoying. And at the very least, he was respectful to me.
Finding a genetic link to autism means that there may be a way to prevent it. There is probably no cure for it once it starts but prevention, especially for families that have multiple generations of autistic children, would be a great step. I hope that they learn more soon, so they can help with families that are afraid to have children for fear their child will have the same disorder.
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