B4705 - What is the relationship between vitamin D and inflammatory markers with brain-body connections in autism and Attention Deficit - 27/09/2024
People with autism and ADHD have a high occurrence of 1) vitamin D deficiency and 2) having a physical inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Understanding if there are genetic links between these occurrences may raise awareness in screening for early signs of inflammation in people with autism and ADHD.
In recent years, a number of studies have proposed that vitamin D has connections in inflammatory processes within the body. There are a number of genes that connect vitamin D metabolism with autism and ADHD, vitamin D metabolism with a systemic inflammatory condition and ADHD with a systemic inflammatory condition.
Initial observations from a process called mendelian randomisation suggest that causal link is potentially present. I am therefore asking if individuals that differ in these genes may be at increased risk of developing a physical inflammatory condition such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis. I am also interested in finding out whether differences in these genes increase the risk of progression to an intervention being required, such as medicines or hospitalisation for physical health inflammation symptoms.
My project will involve looking at genetic material from people diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD, their vitamin D levels and comparing the frequencies of inflammation conditions of these genes with the frequencies found in the general population. I will also look at whether certain forms of the gene are more prevalent in hospitalised patients, compared to those who are not. The value in this research is that it could help us understand more about the role the role of vitamin D and inflammation signalling pathways in people with autism and/ or ADHD, and identify targets for drug treatment. Importantly, it may help us to identify individuals who should have routine screening for an inflammatory condition to prevent it causing disabilities. As this project will only involve reanalysis of existing data, I expect the project duration to be a period of months.