Study of plasma amino acid levels in children with autism: an Egyptian sample

The aetiology of autism is unclear and autistic symptoms had been attributed to an abnormal functional imbalance in neurotransmitter amines such as dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin. To study plasma essential and non-essential amino acid levels, protein electrophoresis, serum ammonia, and urea in autistic children in comparison with controls. Twenty autistic children were compared to twenty healthy age and sex matched normal children serving as control, where serum amino acids, urea, ammonia and protein electrophoresis were estimated. As regards essential amino acid levels, autistic children had significant lower plasma levels of leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, methionine and cystine than controls [P < 0.05],while there was no statistical difference in the level of tryptophan, valine, threonine, arginine, lysine and histidine [P > 0.05]. In non-essential amino acid levels, phosphoserine was significantly raised in autistic children than in controls [.P < 0.05]. Autistic children had lower level of hydroxyproline, serine and tyrosine than controls [P < 0.05]. On the other hand there was no significant difference in levels of taurin, asparagine, alanine, citrulline, GABA, glycine, glutamic acid, and ornithine [P > 0.05]. There was no significant difference between cases and controls as regards the levels of urea, ammonia, total proteins, albumin and globulins [alpha 1, alpha 2, beta and gamma] [P > 0.05]. Autistic children had lower levels of some plasma amino acids except for glycine and glutamic acids and phosphoserine were increased with normal serum levels of urea, ammonia, total proteins, albumin and globulins [alpha 1, alpha 2, beta and gamma]

Transplacental mumps antibodies in cord blood of newborn infants of Egyptian mothers

The present study was designed to determine the seroprevalence of mumps antibodies in fetal cord blood infants and their respective mothers sera as well as the assessment of various factors that affect their immune status. The mothers were subjected to full history taking with a stress on age, parity, history of mumps infection and/or contact, history of MMR vaccination and scoring for the socioeconomic standard. Corresponding neonates were subjected to thorough clinical examination, especially for Apgar scoring, assessment of gestational age [GA] and birth weight determination. Sera from all mothers and neonates were analyzed for specific mumps IgG by ELISA technique. Mumps seropositivity was encountered in 69.2% of the studied women with a statistically significant increase in the frequency of mumps specific IgG with the increasing age, parity and history of mumps contact or evidence of infection with the virus. Previous maternal illness did not affect the mumps IgG frequency, while middle and low socioeconomic standards showed significantly higher frequency than the high standard. 94.6% of the newborn infants proved to be mumps seropositive. The frequency of specific mumps IgG was significantly higher among full term neonates with an adequate birth weight in comparison with the preterm and low birth weight ones. It was also significantly higher in those born to multiparous women of middle and low socioeconomic standards. Mumps seronegativity in neonates was found in 5.4% of the cases and those neonates were found to be at risk of early neonatal infection with hazards of mumps morbidity