Low estrogen levels may be responsible for an increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders in boys, we read in Molecular Autism.
Researchers from Georgia Regents University (USA) have proven that autistic people are characterized by decreased expression of the estrogen beta receptor and decreased levels of aromatase. This results in an increase in testosterone levels in the body and may explain why boys develop autism spectrum disorders 5 times more often than girls.
Earlier studies carried out at the University of Cambridge (Great Britain) have shown that high levels of testosterone (male sex hormone) in the uterus of a pregnant mother correlate with the abnormal social functioning of her son at the age of 4.
Now researchers decided to check whether estrogen – the female sex hormone – is also involved in the process of autism.
“The testosterone hypothesis is already in circulation, but no one has investigated whether it has anything to do with the presence of a female hormone in the brain,” said Dr. Anilkumar Pillai, co-author of the study.
To this end, scientists looked at the structure of the brain tissue of the prefrontal cortex in 13 people diagnosed with autism and 13 healthy people.
It turned out that people with autistic disorders had 35 percent decreased expression of the estrogen beta receptor, which plays an important role in brain protection and processes related to movement, behavior, memory and learning.
A 38% reduction in the amount of aromatase – a hormone that converts testosterone into estradiol (a hormone classified as estrogen) was also found in the brains of autistic patients.
Researchers are already getting ready to conduct experiments to manipulate the level of estrogen beta receptor expression in mice. They want to learn more about how this mechanism works and assess whether it can be used in the treatment of autism.