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The Assessment of Selenium, Aluminum, and Zinc in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

ASD is a complex condition defined by many causes, one of them being excessive concentrations of necessary and harmful chemicals in children. The serum, hair, and nails of children with ASD have lower levels of critical trace elements, according to studies. It is quite obvious that bio elements are involved in physiology and pathophysiology. Thus, this study examined trace element contents in serum samples from children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specifically zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and selenium (Se). The study also looked for links between trace element levels and autistic severity. The study included 47 children with autism spectrum disorder, and the Gilliam’s Scale was used for severity. The study also included 53 healthy kids with age and gender-matched with those of ASD. For serum trace element analysis, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used. The study found significant decreases in selenium and zinc concentration (OR, 5.25; CI, 1.96 ~ 14.08; p < 0.001) and increases in aluminum level (OR, 39.34; CI, 8.20 ~ 89.45; p < 0.001) in children with ASD compared to the control group. The area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.85 for Se, 0.98 for Al, and 0.7 for Zn showed high sensitivity and specificity for all parameters. Results indicate a strong positive connection between ASD and their levels of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) (β, 0.48; CI, 0.280 ~ 0.679; p < 0.001 and β, 0.31; CI, 0.10 ~ 0.52; p = 0.005). There is a negative correlation between ASD and aluminum (Al) (β 0.83; CI, 0.71 ~ 0.95; p < 0.001). This element may be a biomarker for autism in youngsters. High odds ratio (OR) values indicate trace element risk in autistic children.

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Fig. 1
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Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Education, Karbala Education Directorate, Karbala, Iraq

    Ali Fadheel Hamoud

  2. Chemistry Department, College of Science, Kerbala University, Karbala, Iraq

    Ali Fadheel Hamoud & Narjis Hadi Al-Saadi

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  1. Ali Fadheel Hamoud
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Study design and conception, proofreading, and statistical analysis by Narjis Hadi Al-Saadi. Material preparation, data collection, analysis, and writing—first draft by Ali Fadheel Hamoud. Interpretation of the results by Narjis Hadi Al-Saadi and Ali Fadheel Hamoud.

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Hamoud, A.F., Al-Saadi, N.H. The Assessment of Selenium, Aluminum, and Zinc in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Trace Elem Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-024-04283-5

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