Pivotal role of arginine vasopressin in the pathophysiology of childhood autism and atypical autism

Abstract EN

Neurohypophyseal hormone arginine vasopressin (A VP) and its receptors have essential roies in regulating cognition and social behaviours in mammals.

This research study hypothesized that arginine vassopressin perform a role in the etiology of autism based on a verified involvement in social bonding and in the modulation of a range of socially significant behaviours in animal models.

Whereas, it also has been more likely to influence male social behaviour in autism spectrum disorder as autism is 3 fold more frequent in males.

The current investigation was carried out on 90 children suffering from childhood autism or atypical autism, the study included 66 males (73.3%) and 24 females (26.7%) aged 2- 7 years old.

The group of atypical autism consisted of 30 children and the group of childhood autism consisted of 60 children.

The childhood autism group was then divided into two subgroups according to the severity of the disease measured by CARS to mild- moderate autism group and severe autism group; each group consisted of 30 children.

The present study also included 30 healthy children as the control group, they were age and se* matches, The cognitive assessment was done by using Vineland adaptive behaviour scale and the social status assessment was done by usmg El Shakhs socioeconomic status scale.

The results show that there is a highly significant low blood levels (P<0.0001) between both the atypical autism group and the childhood autism group relative to the control group as regards AVP and, however there is no significant difference in its blood levels comparing the two autism groups with each others.

Also the present data reveal a highly significant negative correlation (P<0.0001) between CARS and Vineland scores and a significant positive correlation (P<0.01) between CARS scores and AVP blood level.

These findings suggest that AVP most probably has an important role in the pathogeneses of social behaviours core impairments in ASD.