Targeted Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Gut Microbiota and Its Association With Feeding and Mealtime Behavior and Intestinal Permeability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
14 affiliations
- 1Child Health Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
- 2Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- 3Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
- 4Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
- 5Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- 6Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okasha Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- 7Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- 8Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
- 9Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
- 10Department of Human Genetics, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
- 11Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- 12Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University, Suez, Egypt
- 13Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- 14Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, New Valley University, New Valley, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and feeding and mealtime problems are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is important to note that the gut microbiome is a hypothesized mechanism of action, but it is not yet known if specific bacterial profiles and markers of intestinal barrier function predict feeding problems in the target group of ASD.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional case–control study that examined 70 children with ASD (aged 3–12 years) and 70 matched neurotypical children. Autism was evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and mealtime behaviors were evaluated using the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI). Six important bacterial taxa were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and fecal zonulin and calprotectin were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Children with ASD had significantly higher levels of fecal zonulin and calprotectin than controls (both at P < 0.001) and lower abundances of beneficial taxa (Prevotella, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and higher abundances of Clostridium difficile and Bacteroidetes (all P < 0.01). The overall BAMBI scores did not differ among the groups, but within the ASD group, feeding problem severity was highly correlated with lower Bifidobacterium (r = −0.68) and higher Clostridium difficile (r = 0.74) and was not significantly correlated with autism severity, zonulin, or calprotectin.
Conclusion: Children with ASD have increased levels of gut dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction compared to their non-autistic peers, but the severity of their feeding and mealtime problems tracked the degree of gut microbial imbalance rather than the severity of their ASD symptoms in general. This suggests that feeding behavior is a characteristic that has been under-recognized as a component of the ASD phenotype and is related to the microbiome; if confirmed in longitudinal studies, these microbial associations could represent a candidate target for future gut-directed intervention research.
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BibTeX
@article{ali2026targeted,
title = {{Targeted Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Gut Microbiota and Its Association With Feeding and Mealtime Behavior and Intestinal Permeability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder}},
author = {Walaa H. Ali and Abdulmabod Omar and Amal H. Ali and Hesham M. Hefny and Gehad Nabil and Yasmin Mahmoud and Asmaa Elsaudi Abdelgawad Nasr and Salwa M. Abdelhamid and Hala Mohammed Amin and Marwa Mohamed Omar and Lama M. El-Attar and Fatma Saffeyeldin Mohamed and Rasha Elgamal and Mohamed Ibrahem and Hala S.M. Abdelmotogaly},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.14740/jocmr6687},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719640},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Targeted Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Gut Microbiota and Its Association With Feeding and Mealtime Behavior and Intestinal Permeability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
AU - Walaa H. Ali
AU - Abdulmabod Omar
AU - Amal H. Ali
AU - Hesham M. Hefny
AU - Gehad Nabil
AU - Yasmin Mahmoud
AU - Asmaa Elsaudi Abdelgawad Nasr
AU - Salwa M. Abdelhamid
AU - Hala Mohammed Amin
AU - Marwa Mohamed Omar
AU - Lama M. El-Attar
AU - Fatma Saffeyeldin Mohamed
AU - Rasha Elgamal
AU - Mohamed Ibrahem
AU - Hala S.M. Abdelmotogaly
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine Research
DO - 10.14740/jocmr6687
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719640
AB - Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and feeding and mealtime problems are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is important to note that the gut microbiome is a hypothesized mechanism of action, but it is not yet known if specific bacterial profiles and markers of intestinal barrier function predict feeding problems in the target group of ASD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional case–control study that examined 70 children with ASD (aged 3–12 years) and 70 matched neurotypical children. Autism was evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and mealtime behaviors were evaluated using the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI). Six important bacterial taxa were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and fecal zonulin and calprotectin were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Children with ASD had significantly higher levels of fecal zonulin and calprotectin than controls (both at P < 0.001) and lower abundances of beneficial taxa (Prevotella, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and higher abundances of Clostridium difficile and Bacteroidetes (all P < 0.01). The overall BAMBI scores did not differ among the groups, but within the ASD group, feeding problem severity was highly correlated with lower Bifidobacterium (r = −0.68) and higher Clostridium difficile (r = 0.74) and was not significantly correlated with autism severity, zonulin, or calprotectin. Conclusion: Children with ASD have increased levels of gut dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction compared to their non-autistic peers, but the severity of their feeding and mealtime problems tracked the degree of gut microbial imbalance rather than the severity of their ASD symptoms in general. This suggests that feeding behavior is a characteristic that has been under-recognized as a component of the ASD phenotype and is related to the microbiome; if confirmed in longitudinal studies, these microbial associations could represent a candidate target for future gut-directed intervention research.
SN - 1918-3003
SN - 1918-3011
ER -