Altered amino acid excretion in children with autism

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Nutr Neurosci. 2008 Feb;11(1):9-17.

*Altered amino acid excretion in children with autism.*

C, HR, Rothkirch T, TK, Reichelt KL, Cosford R,

Deed G, Ellis LB, Sparkes DL.

School of Environmental and Life Sciences,

University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New south Wales, Australia.

Autism is a complex and life-long behavioural disorder of unknown

aetiology. Recent reports have indicated the involvement of digestive

tract dysfunction and possible complications from inadequate nutrition.

In this study, 34 autistic children (12 untreated and 22 receiving

therapeutic treatments related to digestive function and nutritional

uptake) and 29 control subjects (all 5-15 years of age) were

investigated to determine whether there were any anomalies in the

urinary excretion of amino acids, glucose, sucrose, arabinose and

tartaric acid using GC/FID and GC/MS analysis techniques. Significantly

lower relative urinary levels of essential amino acids were revealed for

both the untreated (mean +/- SEM, 32.53 +/- 3.09%) and treated (31.98

+/- 2.87%) autistic children compared with the controls (37.87 +/-

1.50%). There were no significant differences in measured excretions of

sugars or tartaric acid. It was concluded that the untreated autistic

children had evidence of altered metabolic homeostasis.

PMID: 18510798