RESUMO
Objective: To determine the association of learning and memory calcineurin binding [CABIN1] protein with autism spectrum disorders
Study Design: Cross-sectional comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: The Autism Research and Treatment Center, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 2013 to May 2014
Methodology: Serum levels of CABIN1 protein in 62 [64%] autistic male children were analysed and 35 [36%] age healthy children measured by using ELISA. The diagnosis of autism was made, based on the criteria of autism as defined in the DSM-IV. CARS [childhood autism rating scale] was used for the assessment of autistic severity. Data was analysed on SPSS version 21. Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparisons of CABIN1 protein levels between the autistic and control groups at a p-value of <0.05. Spearman's correlation coefficient [r] was used to determine the relationships between different variables
Results: There was no significant difference between the levels of CABIN1 between the 1.12 [0.01-8.8] pg/ml and healthy [1.51, 0.12-4.32] pg/ml in children. However, children with mild to moderate autism had higher CABIN1 protein level [1.27 pg/ml, 0.01-10.240] than children with severe autism [0.80 pg/ml, 0.01-4.25, p=0.145]. In addition, there was no significant relationships among the serum level of CABIN1 protein, the CARS score, and age
Conclusion: CABIN1 protein level for children with autism was not significantly different from controls subjects as well as between children with mild to moderate and severe autism