Assessment of Changes over Time of Lipid Profile, C-Reactive Protein Level and Body Mass Index in Teenagers and Young Adults on Different Diets Belonging to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Background: Numerous scientific studies on patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggest a significant role of inflammation processes or lipid disorders in this spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. Unfortunately, there is a lack of assessments of changes over time regarding level of lipids and inflammatory markers in people diagnosed with ASD using different diets. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and body mass index (BMI) in individuals diagnosed with ASD and healthy controls. Variables were assessed at two time points (2015/17 and 2017/20) for each subject. Methods: After applying the selection criteria, for the first assessment period, 96 participants were qualified (the group consisted of 59 males with ASD and 37 healthy volunteers, i.e., age-matched control group—CG). The final assessment included 93 participants (57 from ASD group and 36 from CG). Subjects were on low-fat diet (LFD), gluten–casein-free diet (GF–CF) and regular diet (RD), respectively. All members of CG were on regular diet. A fasting lipid profile and hs-CRP level were analyzed. BMI and percentiles were calculated. Eating habits were checked by analyzing data from questionnaires. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used separately for every assessment. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the medians of variables in the scheme of pairwise comparisons between control and ASD groups on different diets for separate assessment, while differences over time between variables were tested by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Statistically significant differences between BMI, CRP, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), non-HDL-C and TC/HDL ratio were found in ASD group in comparison to healthy volunteers (increased BMI, CRP and TC/HDL and decreased HDL-C for all types of diets, increased TG in the group of LFD and RD individual and increased non-HDL-C in the group of GF–CF and RD individuals) during the first assessment period. The second assessment over time also showed increased levels of TC, non HDL-C and TC/HDL and decreased level of HDL-C for all ASD individuals regardless of diets used, while BMI and CRP increased only for individuals on LFD and RD. No statistically significant correlations between age of participants and other variables comparing with CG were found. Conclusions: Our studies suggest that targeted, individualized nutritional pattern and periodic screening for lipid and immune disorders would be beneficial for teenagers and adults diagnosed with ASD.

The Role of Cholesterol and Fatty Acids in the Etiology and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…In contrast with the mentioned results, a study conducted by Blazewicz and collaborators showed an increase of TC levels in adolescents with autism, divided into groups according to dietary characteristics [ 33 ]. In particular, the presence of increased TC/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) plasma levels was found in patients with ASDs compared to healthy controls regardless of the type of diet.…”

“…In particular, the presence of increased TC/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) plasma levels was found in patients with ASDs compared to healthy controls regardless of the type of diet. In addition, the groups of patients characterized by low-fat diet or regular diet showed an increase in triglycerides (TG), while the group of patients following a gluten-casein-free diet exhibited an increase in non-HDL cholesterol [ 33 ].…”

“…In this sense, various dietary supplementation treatments in patients with ASDs were tested with promising results [ 34 , 35 ]. Of note, the very few clinical trials included in the present review regard attempts to modify the lipid panel, either through diet or through dietary supplements [ 33 , 41 , 46 ]. Meguild and colleagues remarked the role of fish oil supplementation in increasing plasma levels of DHA, as well as in improving the clinical symptoms of subjects affected by autism [ 46 ].…”

“…If the metabolism of cholesterol and fatty acids plays a role in the onset and severity of ASDs, the modulation of diet appears to be promising for the prevention or management of these disorders. Steps have been already moved towards this direction and several studies hypothesized the role of specific dietary interventions, such as limiting and/or depriving either gluten and casein supply, even in association with ketogenic diets [ 33 , 34 ]. Changes in type of diet, by modifying the intestinal microbiome, could have anti-inflammatory properties which therefore would be beneficial for the Central Nervous System [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Are Obese Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder More Likely to Be Selenium Deficient? Research Findings on Pre- and Post-Pubertal Children

“…Obesity or overweight is typically the first stimulus prompting dietary intervention, and many individuals with autism are on various specific diets (e.g., a gluten-free, casein-free or low-fat diet) [ 49 ], and thus a thorough analysis of selenium status in relation to nutrition and diets could complement our future research. Lifestyle factors affecting choice of diet and physical activity, as well as the type of pharmacological treatment, are issues for further study that may help to determine whether Se imbalance is mainly due to altered metabolic processes, insufficient dietary intake, or both.…”