- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT03152838
The Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Autism Spectrum Disorder
The Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Autism Spectrum Disorder Through DNA Methylation
Study Overview
Status
Conditions
Detailed Description
Genetic and non-genetic factors would contribute to the development of autism. However, the molecular mechanisms of ASD are not clear and successful treatments are still under research. Autism Spectrum Disorder can occur due to exposure to environmental pollutants which lead to epigenetic changes like DNA methylation, acetylation and post-translational modifications. However, the role of epigenetic changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder is still debated.
Epigenetic mechanisms represent a link through which environmental factors interact with the genetic factors resulting in modification of Autism Spectrum Disorder risk through changes in gene expression. DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are two major epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the gene expression at successive stages of brain development.
Brain derived neurotrophic factor is responsible for brain development. Altered BDNF levels and expression may be closely associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. . Glial fibrillary acidic protein is the hallmark intermediate filament protein in astrocytes, the main type of glial cells in the central nervous system. Interestingly, Glial fibrillary acidic protein is a marker of astroglial activation and the recent data indicated that Glial fibrillary acidic protein could be implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. However, the underlying mechanisms for the role of brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial fibrillary acidic protein in autism spectrum disorder are poorly understood.
Study Type
Enrollment (Anticipated)
Contacts and Locations
Study Contact
- Name: Omyma Galal, MD
- Phone Number: 01006807029
- Email: omyma_galal@hotmail.com
Study Contact Backup
- Name: Eman Sayyed, MD
- Phone Number: 01123392260
- Email: eman_sayyed2@yahoo.com.com
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Sampling Method
Study Population
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- All enrolled children with Autism Spectrum Disorder will be:
- Exhibit symptoms within the typical triad of autistic traits: communication impairment, social deficits, and ritualistic interests.
- Drug-naïve.
- Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and controls will be 2-6 years old.
Exclusion Criteria:
The control subjects will also clinically examined by the psychiatrist to exclude any sub-clinical autistic features. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and controls will excluded from the study if
- They receive treatment for any reason.
- -Endocrinological disease, mental retardation, communication disorder, psychotic disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disorders seen in the children or their family members.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Observational Models: Case-Control
- Time Perspectives: Retrospective
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / Cohort |
Intervention / Treatment |
---|---|
Autism Cases
20 confirmed autism cases will be involved in this study.
|
Fasting blood samples will be collected from both autism and controls for DNA extraction. Peripheral blood (2ml) will be drawn from the cubital vein intoplastic syringes. Lymphocytes will be isolated from blood samples. We will examine the gene methylation in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of drug-naı¨ve autism patients and control subjects. DNA will be isolated from lymphocytes, purified and processed for bisulfate modification. Bisulfate treatment of genomic DNA will be performed using DNA methylation kit according to the manufacturer´ instructions. Bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA converts cytosine to uracil, but leaves methylated 5'Cytosines unchanged. Quantitative real time Polymerase chain reaction will be used to determine the DNA methylation status of the Brian derived neurotrophic factor and glia fibrillary acidic protein genes using primers specific to the human genes. An assessment of the severity of autism using the Gilliam autism rating scale Arabic version: This test was used for diagnosis and assessment of the severity of autistic features for ages 3-22 years. It consists of 56 items, subdivided into 4 subscales: communication, social interaction, stereotyped behaviors, development and total score. The Arabic version has been validated with good reliability and validity and used in many studies before. The lower the scores are, the worse the condition is. The scale will be done by trained and certified psychologist. The protocol and informed consent for this study will be reviewed and approved by the ethics committee at the Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt. |
Control
20 age-gender matched typical development children that will be assigned to the normal control group.
|
Fasting blood samples will be collected from both autism and controls for DNA extraction. Peripheral blood (2ml) will be drawn from the cubital vein intoplastic syringes. Lymphocytes will be isolated from blood samples. We will examine the gene methylation in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of drug-naı¨ve autism patients and control subjects. DNA will be isolated from lymphocytes, purified and processed for bisulfate modification. Bisulfate treatment of genomic DNA will be performed using DNA methylation kit according to the manufacturer´ instructions. Bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA converts cytosine to uracil, but leaves methylated 5'Cytosines unchanged. Quantitative real time Polymerase chain reaction will be used to determine the DNA methylation status of the Brian derived neurotrophic factor and glia fibrillary acidic protein genes using primers specific to the human genes. |
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
The difference of percentage of DNA methylation of Brain derived neurotrophic factor gene and glial fibrillary acidic protein gene between the two groups
Time Frame: one year
|
Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
|
one year
|
The relation between the severity of autistic symptoms and percentage of Brain derived neurotrophic factor gene and glial fibrillary acidic protein gene methylation in Autism cases group
Time Frame: one year
|
correlation test
|
one year
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Bahi A. Sustained lentiviral-mediated overexpression of microRNA124a in the dentate gyrus exacerbates anxiety- and autism-like behaviors associated with neonatal isolation in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2016 Sep 15;311:298-308. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.05.033. Epub 2016 May 17.
- Bhandari R, Kuhad A. Resveratrol suppresses neuroinflammation in the experimental paradigm of autism spectrum disorders. Neurochem Int. 2017 Feb;103:8-23. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2016.12.012. Epub 2016 Dec 23.
- Gladkevich A, Kauffman HF, Korf J. Lymphocytes as a neural probe: potential for studying psychiatric disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2004 May;28(3):559-76. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2004.01.009.
- Paternain L, Martisova E, Campion J, Martinez JA, Ramirez MJ, Milagro FI. Methyl donor supplementation in rats reverses the deleterious effect of maternal separation on depression-like behaviour. Behav Brain Res. 2016 Feb 15;299:51-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.11.031. Epub 2015 Nov 25.
- Vuong HE, Hsiao EY. Emerging Roles for the Gut Microbiome in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 1;81(5):411-423. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.024. Epub 2016 Aug 26.
- Wang J, Zou Q, Han R, Li Y, Wang Y. Serum levels of Glial fibrillary acidic protein in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2017 Apr;57:41-45. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.004. Epub 2017 Jan 11.
- Nishimura K, Nakamura K, Anitha A, Yamada K, Tsujii M, Iwayama Y, Hattori E, Toyota T, Takei N, Miyachi T, Iwata Y, Suzuki K, Matsuzaki H, Kawai M, Sekine Y, Tsuchiya K, Sugihara G, Suda S, Ouchi Y, Sugiyama T, Yoshikawa T, Mori N. Genetic analyses of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene in autism. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Apr 27;356(1):200-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.02.135. Epub 2007 Mar 5.
- Ferreira MC, Dorboz I, Rodriguez D, Boespflug Tanguy O. Screening for GFAP rearrangements in a cohort of Alexander disease and undetermined leukoencephalopathy patients. Eur J Med Genet. 2015 Sep;58(9):466-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2015.07.002. Epub 2015 Jul 21.
- Samadi SA, McConkey R. The utility of the Gilliam autism rating scale for identifying Iranian children with autism. Disabil Rehabil. 2014;36(6):452-6. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2013.797514. Epub 2013 Jun 5.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Anticipated)
Primary Completion (Anticipated)
Study Completion (Anticipated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- HRM
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.
Clinical Trials on Autism Spectrum Disorder
-
Stanford UniversityCalifornia Department of Developmental ServicesRecruitingAutism Spectrum Disorder | Autistic Disorder | Autism | Autism Spectrum Disorders | Autistic Disorders Spectrum | Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Autistic Spectrum DisordersUnited States
-
Hoffmann-La RocheActive, not recruitingAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)United States, Canada, Italy, Spain
-
Axial Therapeutics, Inc.Active, not recruitingAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)United States, Australia, New Zealand
-
Technion, Israel Institute of TechnologyCompleted
-
Stanford UniversityNational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)CompletedAutism | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)United States
-
Corporacion Parc TauliUnknown
-
Institut de Recherches Internationales ServierADIR, a Servier Group companyTerminatedAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Spain, United States, Hungary, Poland, Australia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Czechia, France, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia
-
Florida Gulf Coast UniversityCompletedAutism Spectrum Disorder High-FunctioningUnited States
-
Hospital Universitario Dr. Jose E. GonzalezUnknownAutism | Autism SpectrumMexico
-
National Taiwan University HospitalCompletedAutism Spectrum Disorder High-FunctioningTaiwan
Clinical Trials on DNA methylation and Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis
-
Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologyNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Completed
-
Children's Oncology GroupNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Completed
-
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns...National Cancer Institute (NCI)CompletedBreast CancerUnited States
-
Children's Oncology GroupNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Completed
-
Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologyNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Active, not recruiting
-
Children's Oncology GroupNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Completed
-
Liz-Anne LewsleyUnknownOvarian CancerUnited Kingdom
-
Southwest Oncology GroupNational Cancer Institute (NCI)Completed
-
The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical UniversityRecruiting
-
Fayoum UniversityCompletedDiagnostic Accuracy of lncRNA DQ786243 and miRNA146a in Saliva of Oral Potentially Malignant LesionsLeukoplakia, Oral | Oral Lichen Planus | Potentially Malignant LesionsEgypt