142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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310732
Effects of Maternal Autoimmunity on Autism Severity

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Eline Kocharyan , Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
Brandon Brown, PhD, MPH , Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
Zuzana Bic, Dr.P.H., MUDr , Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
Pietro Galassetti, MD, PhD , Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, Univerisity of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
Miryha Runnerstrom, MA, PhD , Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
Purpose: Recent evidence indicates that maternal anti-brain antibodies can affect fetal neurodevelopment and result in Autistic behavior in offspring. Due to lack of specificity, both maternal protective and autoantibodies access the fetus. As a result, autoantibodies can adversely affect fetal neurodevelopment. Thus far, the impact of maternal autoimmunity on Autism severity and type of skills affected has not been investigated. Our study addresses this issue by utilizing the CARS rating scale.  

Methods: An online survey was administered to 66 mothers with Autistic children ages 2-17 (from a target population of 300). Autism severity was measured by integrating the CARS rating scale and assigning total composite scores to all participants. Thirty-four mothers displayed neither presence, nor family history of autoimmune disease (Control); 22 mothers displayed only family history (F); 10 mothers had autoimmune disorders, of which 6 also had family history (MF) and 4 had no family history (MO).

Results: Based on preliminary data on the first 66 subjects, the highest CARS scores were observed in the MO group, in which scores averaged 2.5 points higher than in the other groups combined (36.8±2.2 vs. 34.3±0.9).  In addition to overall scores, MO mothers had the highest averages in 10/15 CARS categories.  

Discussion: Autism symptoms may vary in scope and severity among children whose mothers have autoimmunity; CARS rating scales may be appropriate instruments to measure this comparative variability

Conclusion: If confirmed in larger subject populations, our preliminary data are consistent with a correlation between presence of maternal autoimmunity and offspring Autism severity.

Learning Areas:

Basic medical science applied in public health
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess the association between maternal autoimmunity and Autism severity. Demonstrate whether the severity of Autism in children - as determined by the CARS rating scale - is influenced by the presence of either maternal autoimmunity or maternal family history of autoimmunity.

Keyword(s): Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Public Health Honors Research Student at the University of California, Irvine. My research was awarded a grant through the UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). I am currently a senior majoring in Public Health Sciences, conducting autism research under the auspices of the UCI Program in Public Health, the UCI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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