Associated medical disorders, autism

Recently, Campbell et al. (2009) have reported that disrupted MET gene signaling may contribute to increased risk for autism spectrum disorder that includes familial GI dysfunction. A functional variant in the promoter of the gene encoding the MET receptor tyrosine kinase has been associated with ASD, and MET protein expression has been found to be decreased in the temporal lobe cortex in ASD postmortem brain tissue. MET is a pleiotropic receptor that is known to function in both brain development and GI repair. Thus, the identification of medical disorders in ASD individuals, in this case GI disorders, may not only improve quality of life for those affected with ASD but may lead to improved or more precise definition of genetic and phenotypic subtypes in this complex heterogeneous disorder. 

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