Is Taurine a Biomarker in Autistic Spectrum Disorder?

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid which is not incorporated into protein. However, taurine has various critical physiological functions including development of the eye and brain, reproduction, osmoregulation, and immune functions including anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidant activity. The causes of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are not clear but a high heritability implicates an important role for genetic factors. Reports also implicate oxidative stress and inflammation in the etiology of ASD. Thus, taurine, a well-known antioxidant and regulator of inflammation, was investigated here using the sera from both girls and boys with ASD as well as their siblings and parents. Previous reports regarding taurine serum concentrations in ASD from various laboratories have been controversial. To address the potential role of taurine in ASD, we collected sera from 66 children with ASD (males: 45; females: 21, age 1.5-11.5 years, average age 5.2 ± 1.6) as well as their unaffected siblings (brothers: 24; sisters: 32, age 1.5-17 years, average age 7.0 ± 2.0) as controls of the children with ASD along with parents (fathers: 49; mothers: 54, age 28-45 years). The sera from normal adult controls (males: 47; females: 51, age 28-48 years) were used as controls for the parents. Taurine concentrations in all sera samples were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a phenylisothiocyanate labeling technique. Taurine concentrations from female and male children with ASD were 123.8 ± 15.2 and 145.8 ± 8.1 µM, respectively, and those from their unaffected brothers and sisters were 142.6 ± 10.4 and 150.8 ± 8.4 µM, respectively. There was no significant difference in taurine concentration between autistic children and their unaffected siblings. Taurine concentrations in children with ASD were also not significantly different from their parents (mothers: 139.6 ± 7.7 µM, fathers: 147.4 ± 7.5 µM). No significant difference was observed between adult controls and parents of ASD children (control females: 164.8 ± 4.8 µM, control males: 163.0 ± 7.0 µM). However, 21 out of 66 children with ASD had low taurine concentrations (<106 µM). Since taurine has anti-oxidant activity, children with ASD with low taurine concentrations will be examined for abnormal mitochondrial function. Our data imply that taurine may be a valid biomarker in a subgroup of ASD.

Source and dynamics of a volcanic caldera unrest: Campi Flegrei, 1983-84.

Despite their importance for eruption forecasting the causes of seismic rupture processes during caldera unrest are still poorly reconstructed from seismic images. Seismic source locations and waveform attenuation analyses of earthquakes in the Campi Flegrei area (Southern Italy) during the 1983-1984 unrest have revealed a 4-4.5 km deep NW-SE striking aseismic zone of high attenuation offshore Pozzuoli. The lateral features and the principal axis of the attenuation anomaly correspond to the main source of ground uplift during the unrest. Seismic swarms correlate in space and time with fluid injections from a deep hot source, inferred to represent geochemical and temperature variations at Solfatara. These swarms struck a high-attenuation 3-4 km deep reservoir of supercritical fluids under Pozzuoli and migrated towards a shallower aseismic deformation source under Solfatara. The reservoir became aseismic for two months just after the main seismic swarm (April 1, 1984) due to a SE-to-NW directed input from the high-attenuation domain, possibly a dyke emplacement. The unrest ended after fluids migrated from Pozzuoli to the location of the last caldera eruption (Mt. Nuovo, 1538 AD). The results show that the high attenuation domain controls the largest monitored seismic, deformation, and geochemical unrest at the caldera.

Comportamiento de la baciloscopía en formas clínicas abiertas de lepra: Municipio Camagüey (años: 1977-1982) / Behaviour of bacilloscopy in open clinical fors of leprosy: Camagüey Municipality (1977-1982)

Se estudió la evolución bacteriológica de 33 pacientes de lepra con baciloscopía positiva del Municipio Camagüey. Se analizó su comportamiento durante la fase de ataque y la fase de consolidación hasta completar 60 meses (quinquenio 1977-1982). Al terminar la fase de ataque habían negativizado su índice bacteriológico el 68,7

de los casos y su índice morfológico, el 78,1

y al finalizar los 60 meses (fase de consolidación) el 93,33

de los pacientes negativizaron el índice bacteriológico y el 100

de los casos habían negativizado el índice morfológico desde los 48 meses. El mayor número de casos presentó lepra lepromatosa y de éstos, un elevado porcentaje correspondió al grupo de más de 65 años de edad

Comportamiento de la baciloscopía en formas clínicas abiertas de lepra: Municipio Camagüey (años: 1977-1982) / Behaviour of bacilloscopy in open clinical forms of leprosy: Camagüey Municipality (1977-1982)

Se estudió la evolución bacteriológica de 33 pacientes de lepra con baciloscopía positiva del Municipio Camagüey. Se analizó su comportamiento durante la fase de ataque y la fase de consolidación hasta completar 60 meses (quinquenio 1977-1982). Al terminar la fase de ataque habían negativizado su índice bacteriológico el 68,7 % de los casos y su índice morfológico, el 78,1 % y al finalizar los 60 meses (fase de consolidación) el 93,33% de los pacientes negativizaron el índice bacteriológico y el 100% de los casos habían negativizado el índice morfológico desde los 48 meses. El mayor número de casos presentó lepra lepromatosa y de éstos, un elevado porcentaje correspondió al grupo de más de 65 años de edad