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Familial Autoimmune Thyroid Disease as a Risk Factor for Regression in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A CPEA Study

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Abstract

A multicenter study of 308 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was conducted through the Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism (CPEA), sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to compare the family history of autoimmune disorders in children with ASD with and without a history of regression. A history of regression was determined from the results of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Family history of autoimmune disorders was obtained by telephone interview. Regression was significantly associated with a family history of autoimmune disorders (adjusted OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.10). The only specific autoimmune disorder found to be associated with regression was autoimmune thyroid disease (adjusted OR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.28, 3.41).

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Abbreviations

CPEA:

Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism

NICHD:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIDCD:

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

ADI-R:

Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised

ADOS:

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule

ASD:

Autism Spectrum Disorder

PDD-NOS:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified

AITD:

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the patients and families at all the CPEA sites who participated in this research. We thank Dr. Mekibib Altaye for his critical review of the statistical analyses. We also thank Dr. Thayne Sweeten for his thoughtful reading and comments on the manuscript and Deb Anderson for her assistance in data management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Cynthia A. Molloy, Ardythe L. Morrow & Jareen Meinzen-Derr

  2. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Geraldine Dawson & Raphael Bernier

  3. Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Michelle Dunn

  4. School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Susan L. Hyman

  5. School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    William M. McMahon & Julie Goudie-Nice

  6. Health Sciences Center, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Susan Hepburn

  7. School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Nancy Minshew

  8. University of California – Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Sally Rogers

  9. University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Marian Sigman

  10. University of California – Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    M. Anne Spence

  11. Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Helen Tager-Flusberg

  12. Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

  13. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Catherine Lord

  14. Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4051, Cincinnati, OH, 45229–3039, USA

    Cynthia A. Molloy

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  1. Cynthia A. Molloy
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  2. Ardythe L. Morrow
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  4. Geraldine Dawson
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  6. Michelle Dunn
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  7. Susan L. Hyman
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  8. William M. McMahon
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  9. Julie Goudie-Nice
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  10. Susan Hepburn
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  11. Nancy Minshew
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  12. Sally Rogers
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  13. Marian Sigman
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  14. M. Anne Spence
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  15. Helen Tager-Flusberg
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  16. Fred R. Volkmar
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  17. Catherine Lord
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Correspondence to Cynthia A. Molloy.

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Molloy, C.A., Morrow, A.L., Meinzen-Derr, J. et al. Familial Autoimmune Thyroid Disease as a Risk Factor for Regression in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A CPEA Study. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 317–324 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0071-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0071-0

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