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Abstract Autism spectrum disorders are diverse group of disorders caused by a complex interplay between genetic and environmental components. The alterations in the intestinal microbiota in the gut might contribute to the disorder in a substantial number of individuals. This study was a case control one conducted on thirty autistic children recruited from the autistic child clinic of the National Research Centre and also twenty normal healthy children of similar age and sex served as a control group. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of probiotics supplementation in improving the gastrointestinal symptoms, the general and mental health of the autistic children at the age of 5 to 9 years old. In all patients, we recorded full history, sociodemographic data and clinical examination including anthropometric measurements (body weight, height and BMI) and their z-scores which were calculated according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards and they were compared to their healthy controls before starting the study and were reevaluated again for the autistic group after 3 months. Then the proportions of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains were assessed in the stool of all participants by using the real time PCR and the differences in the fecal microbial composition harbored by autistic and non-autistic children were demonstrated. The autistic symptoms were assessed by the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) including speech/ language/communication, sociability, sensory/cognitive awareness as well as health/physical/behavior and also gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed using a modified version of the GI Severity Index) 6-GSI) score. Then the autistic children were fed on a nutritional supplement formula fortified with different probiotic strains (a mix of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains) for 3 months, and their anthropometric measures and stool PCR were reassessed again and compared to their baseline. Then data were collected and statistically analysed. The results of this study revealed that at the start of the study the mean BMI and BMI z-score of the autistic children were significantly higher than their control group and that 60% of the total autistic children were classified as being overweight. The initial stool PCR showed that the stool colony counts of Bifidobacteria were significantly lower in the stool of autistic children than that of their control group while no significant differences were found between the levels of stool Lactobacilli colony counts. After probiotics supplementation for 3 months, we concluded that the levels of Bifidobacteria strains were increased which were associated with a significant decrease in the body weight of the autistic children. Also, we recorded improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms (assessed by the 6-GSI scores) which were strongly correlated with the improvements of the severity of autism (assessed by the ATEC scores).. |