Study of Polymorphism in the BDNF Gene and its Relationship to Growth Hormone Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Anbar Governorate

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition associated with brain development that affects how a person recognizes and treats others on a social level, causing problems with interaction and social communication. The disorder also involves limited, repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in the phrase autism spectrum disorder refers to a wide range of symptoms and levels of severity. The current study was conducted for the purpose of studying the relationship of growth hormone and some physiological factors to polymorphism in the Brain Derived Nuetrophic Factor (BDNF) gene in a sample of 40 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as a control sample of 20 children without autism spectrum disorder for the period from 1/10/2021 to 1/12/2021. The current study showed a significant decrease in p≤0.05 in the concentration of growth hormone in the serum of the study sample members (0.345 (±0.32)) ng/ml compared to its concentration in the serum of the control sample individuals (6.698( ± 5.05)) ng/ml and the current study showed a significant decrease in p≤0.05 in the body mass criterion as it was found that the value of the body mass criterion in the subjects of the study sample is (20.11 (±4.53)) compared to its value in the control sample individuals (25.74 (±7.60)) , It was also found that there was an inverse significant correlation p≤0.05 between BMI and the level of growth hormone in the serum, where the value of the correlation coefficient between the BMI in the study sample members and the level of growth hormone in the blood serum (- 0.35989). The current study indicated a significant increase in p≤0.05 in the level of mercury element in the blood of the study sample members, where its concentration was (1.13 (±0.69)) mg/kg compared to its concentration in the serum of the control sample members, where its average concentration was (0.42 (±0.22)) mg/kg and also showed a significant correlation p≤0.05. Inverse between the concentration of growth hormone and the level of mercury in the serum of the study sample subjects where the value of the correlation coefficient (-0.18006). The results of the current study also showed a significant increase in p≤0.05 in the level of lead element in the blood of the study sample members, where its value was (11.41 (± 4.973)) mg/kg compared to its value in the blood of the control sample members (5.227(± 2.808)) mg/kg. The results of the current study also showed a positive positive p≤0.05 signific