A Clinical Study of Urine Amino Acids in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Amino acids are organic compounds that enter the protein structure, being involved in the proper functioning of the body. The role of amino acids in the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is yet to be established. Our aim was to identify correlations between urine amino acids and their derivatives and ASD. METHODS: We designed a case-control study that consisted of 75 boys and girls, aged between 2 and 12 years. For amino acid profile, we used urine samples that were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS: Descriptive analysis showed higher values for glutamine, hydroxyproline, tyrosine, aspartic acid, and tryptophan and lower values for serine in the autism group than in the control group. Also, we found that boys with autism had higher values than the boys in the control group for serine, threonine, and aspartic acid. For girls from both groups, we did not find statistically significant values. In terms of age groups, we found significantly higher values for histidine, threonine, valine, methionine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alpha amino-adipic acid, sarcosine, alanine, and beta-alanine and significantly lower values for proline for both the autism and control groups under 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study support the assumption that amino acids may have a role in the expression of ASD.

Serum Amino Acid Profiling in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Insights from a Single-Center Study in Southern Romania.

The objective of this study was to analyze the serum amino acid profile in children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in southern Romania. The analysis aimed to provide insights into the underlying metabolic dysregulations associated with ASD. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, communication deficits, and restricted repetitive behaviors. Although the exact cause of ASD is largely unknown, recent evidence suggests that abnormalities in amino acid metabolism may contribute to its pathogenesis. Therefore, studying the amino acid profile in children with ASD could offer valuable information for understanding the metabolic disturbances associated with this complex disorder. This single-center study examined serum samples from children diagnosed with ASD, utilizing advanced analytical techniques to quantify the levels of different amino acids, amino acid derivatives, and amino acid-like substances. The results showed a lower level of taurine and a higher level of asparagine and leucine in the ASD group versus the control group. In the ASD group, we observed significant differences in tryptophan and alpha-aminobutyric acid levels based on age, with higher tryptophan levels in children older than 7 years when compared to children younger than 7 years; however, no significant correlations were found with the ASD group older than 7 years old. Additionally, younger children with ASD exhibited higher levels of alpha-aminobutyric acid than older children with ASD. The findings from this study contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the metabolic aspects of ASD, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for improving the management and treatment of ASD in children.

Micronutrient Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder. A Clinical Study.

Autistic spectrum disorders are part of the category of neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by: difficulties in communication and social interaction, restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviours and activities, which are present throughout the developmental period, and can be diagnosed in the first five years of life. Due to the increase in the incidence of this disorder in recent years, it has become a topic of great interest both to specialists in child and adolescent psychiatry and to researchers in the field. Given the polymorphism of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the need to discover factors that better explain the etiology of this disorder, studies related to biomarkers are extremely varied. One of the areas of study that have exercised particular interest is related to the involvement of metals in the pathology of autism spectrum disorder. Apart from the controversies related to heavy metals that according to studies affect the developmental process, there are studies that suggest that some micronutrients such as zinc, copper, selenium, iron, magnesium, may be involved in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder. Starting from these studies, we set out to investigate to what extent these essential metals for the body are involved in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder and how they influence the severity of symptoms.