Evaluation of Nucleated Red Blood Cell Levels in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Relationship With Disorder Severity.

Researchers studied blood test results from 68 young children with autism to see if certain blood markers could help predict how severe a child's autism might be. They found that some children had unusual red blood cells in their blood, and that blood platelet levels and these unusual red blood cells might help doctors better understand autism severity. This could potentially give doctors easier ways to assess autism in children.

This retrospective study examined nucleated red blood cell (nRBC) counts and other blood parameters in 68 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to determine relationships with disorder severity. Using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, researchers found that 11.5% of participants had positive nRBC counts. Male children with mild/moderate ASD showed statistically higher nRBC counts compared to those with severe ASD. The study identified nRBC count, platelet count, and intellectual disability as predictors of ASD severity.

These findings suggest that certain blood parameters, particularly nRBC and platelet counts, may serve as accessible biomarkers for assessing autism severity in clinical practice.

Blood parameters, particularly nRBC and platelet counts, may serve as accessible biomarkers for ASD severity assessment. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and understand underlying mechanisms before clinical implementation.

Retrospective design limits causal inferences. Small sample size of 68 children reduces generalizability. Study focused only on preschool children, limiting applicability across age groups. Mechanism underlying blood parameter changes unclear.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a complex aetiology and a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Having easily accessible and interpretable parameters that can be correlated with disorder severity will provide important contributions to clinicians. This study aimed to investigate nucleated red blood cell (nRBC) count and other complete blood count parameters and their relationship with ASD severity in preschool children. In this retrospective study, 68 ASD cases were included.

The severity of the disorder was determined using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Regression history and intellectual disability data were obtained from the medical records. The nRBC count was positive in 11.5% of the participants. The nRBC count in male ASD cases was found to be statistically higher in mild/moderate cases than in severe cases.

The nRBC count, the platelet count and intellectual disability were found to be predictors of ASD severity. Differences in some complete blood count parameters, especially nRBC, were found in the study's ASD cases. The platelet count and the nRBC count may be predictive of ASD severity.