#AI reads Urine## Elevated Microbially-Derived Metabolites in Autism: A Possible Diagnostic Screening Test for a Distinct ASD Phenotype
Published 18 December, 2025
This research document focuses on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It notes that children with ASD are usually diagnosed at a relatively late age, while early intervention is more effective, so a convenient early screening tool is needed. The study included 52 children with ASD (aged 2-11 years) and 47 typically developing (TD) children. By measuring the concentrations of microbially derived metabolites (MDMs) in their urine, it was found that the concentrations of various phenylalanine-derived, tryptophan-derived, and yeast-derived metabolites in the urine of children with ASD were significantly higher than those in TD children, with some even reaching 100-1000 times higher. Based on this finding, the "Microbially-Derived Metabolite System (MDM System)" was developed. Using whether the metabolite concentration exceeds the normal range of TD children as the screening criterion, the system achieved a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 100% in semi-quantitative analysis, and a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 100% in quantitative analysis. Meanwhile, a new ASD subtype called "ASD associated with Microbially-Derived Metabolites (ASD-MDM)" was proposed. The document concludes that this urine-based detection system is a reliable non-invasive screening tool, which can be further improved in the future, and the symptoms of children with this related type of ASD can be alleviated by regulating the intestinal microbiota.
Res Sq [Preprint]. 2025 Oct 2:rs.3.rs-7643826. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7643826/v1.
Youhe Gao
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
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