Autism is largely down to genes, twins study suggests

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BBC News link

The evidence seems be gathering for a genetic cause of autism.

Yes, so they have found sometimes the parents may carry genes the increase likelyhood of autism, thus implying a strong genetic factor in many cases, at the end of the article it still explains they still don't know what causes autism...let alone how to rid the world of it. And hell I have a strong suspicion in my case it was genetic mutation, and that cannot be predicted...I already have been tested since I was a kid, and they basically came down to the idea I have some kind of genetic mutation they cannot entirely explain did not connect it to the autism....but without this mutation in genetics I can't help but think I may have very well ended up without the autism. Or maybe they are two different things entirely, I just also know no one else in my family is really on the spectrum I don't think.

Increasing support for common variants, common traits with hundreds of genes involved.

I'm the only Spectrumite in my family.

I'm the only one with it on either side of my family.

Though my dad, and my male cousin on my dad's side (he's younger than me by a few years), you could mistaken for people with Asperger's for the most part.

I have an uncle on my mom's side that could easily be mistaken as someone with Asperger's, but in this case my mother is one of the adopted children.

I have no full blooded siblings, so...

Though I hear Autism is a choice just like being gay

Attributing something like autism to a genetic cause does NOT mean that it has been inherited from a previous generation, though that may occur.

The thing to bear in mind is that DNA replication is error prone. There are many single letter changes in the code called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are often inconsequential but sometimes result in significant changes including suceptibility to disease. Another error that occurs in genetic replication is copy number variations, when sequences are duplicated multiple times or omitted altogether. These can be huge, consisting of thousands or hundreds of thousands of nucleotides. Some CNVs are directly linked to genetic disorders, others seem to have little consequence to the organism.

A part of what this means is that a child can have genetic diseases associated with SNPs and CNVs that have nothing to do with the sequences the inherited from their parents, except in that their deviation from the parental sequences.

Studies looking for SNPs associated with autism haven't turned up many good candidates. But a number of studies in recent years are building a picture of common variations in hundreds of genes contributing to autism. This study supports that emerging picture.

Autism genetic associations include inherited genetic variants transmitted in families and de novo mutations found in autistic children but not their parents or relatives.

I have a twin brother.

He has ASD traits as well. Stronger than mine are now, but less than mine were a few years ago.

IMO, it's part genetic predisposition that's exacerbated by antibiotic induced intestinal dysbiosis.

We were both born inheriting our mothers gut flora. Then we both had many ear infections as infants & were on antibiotics a lot. We weren't breastfed so missed out on probiotics there. Over the years, IIRC, I took antibiotics more than he has. Also, I consumed food/drinks he didn't - ie I drink alcohol, he's never drank etc. So, even though his diet is far from clean & healthy (mine is far better than his currently), throughout our 20's I drank and consumed other things he didn't along with more antibiotics, resulting in a much more imbalanced digestive system & far stronger symptoms. I've since treated the digestive w/ diet, cleanses, & probiotics which has in turn greatly reduced my ASD and other neurological symptoms.

But yeah, a twin study may point towards genetic factors being at play.. but it may also point towards inherited gut flora factors at play - or both.

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