Impact of microRNAs in Interaction with Environmental Factors on Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the main effects of miRNAs as well as their interaction effects with well-replicated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) environmental risk factors on the risk of ASD.Methods: 159 ASD children (ASD group) and 159 healthy children (control group), aged 2-6 years, were included in this study. ASD diagnoses were based on DSM-5 criteria. The extensive medical and demographic characterization of the two groups were recorded. And microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum were detected by qRT-PCR. Results: Comparing to control group, ASD group had significant higher rates of maternal stress during pregnancy (p<0.001), maternal drinking during pregnancy (p=0.006), threatened abortion (p=0.011), pregnancy-induced hypertension (p=0.032), gestational diabetes (p=0.039), maternal anemia during pregnancy (p<0.001), umbilical cord knot (p<0.001), neonatal jaundice (p<0.001), family psychiatric history (p=0.001), and much lower birth weight (p=0.012). Furthermore, ASD group had much lower expression levels of has-miR-181b-5p (p<0.001) and has-miR-320a (p<0.001), and significant higher levels of has-miR-19b-3p (p<0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the interactions of has-miR-320a and maternal stress during pregnancy (OR=39.42, p<0.001), has-miR-19b-3p and neonatal jaundice (OR=2.44, p<0.001), has-miR-181b-5p and family psychiatric history (OR=8.65, p=0.001) could increase ASD risk. Conclusions:The dysregulation of has-miR-181b-5p,has-miR-320a and has-miR-19b-3p could interact with environmental factors, such as maternal stress during pregnancy, neonatal jaundice and family psychiatric history, to impact the risk of ASD.

The Association between Threatened Abortion and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders among Children: A Meta‐Analysis

“…Finally, 12 studies were included in the present meta-analysis. We identified three cohort studies [5,19,20], seven case-control studies [21][22][23][24][25][26][27], and two cross-sectional studies [12,28] (Figure 1). The total population studied was 394,675.…”