Levels of Salivary Sialic Acid in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder; Could It Be Related to Stereotypes and Hyperactivity?

OBJECTIVE: Sialic acid (Sia) is an essential nutrient for brain development, learning, memory and cognition and plays a role in neurodevelopment of infants. The aim of this study was to determine whether Sia levels are significantly associated with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Forty-six ASD children and 30 typically developing children aged 3 to 10 years were included in the study. Behavioral symptoms in ASD children was assessed by the Autism Behavior Checklist (AuBC), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). After the collection of saliva samples, the supernatant was separated. All the samples kept at −80°C until Sia analysis was done. RESULTS: Sia level was found to be significantly lower in the ASD group when compared to healthy controls (p = 0.013). There was no correlation between severity of ASD and salivary Sia levels. We found a negative correlation between AuBC scores and Sia levels and a negative correlation in both ABC Stereotypic Behavior and Hyperactivity/Noncompliance subscales with Sia levels in ASD group. CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicate that Sia levels could have an effect on autism-like behaviors, particularly on stereotypes and hyperactivity.

Serum and urine boron and selenium levels in children with resistant epilepsy

To determine the role of serum and urine selenium, and boron levels in children with resistant epilepsy. Serum and urine boron and selenium levels were studied in 53 cases [32 boys and 21 girls] diagnosed with resistant epilepsy between April 2006 and February 2007 at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. Differences between groups were assessed using Student's t-test. Countable data were defined as percentage. Inter-group difference was assessed by Chi-square test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. When serum and urine boron and selenium levels were evaluated and compare with controls, a statistically significant difference was found in serum selenium, urine selenium, and urine boron levels [p<0.05]. No significant difference was found in serum boron levels [p>0.05]. It was observed that there is a need for selenium supplementation in treatment of patients with resistant epilepsy, while no etiologic role is observed for boron