1. Serotonin and amino acid content in platelets of autistic children.
- Author
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Rolf LH, Haarmann FY, Grotemeyer KH, and Kehrer H
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Aspartic Acid blood, Autistic Disorder diagnosis, Biomarkers, Child, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Female, Glutaminase analysis, Glutaminase blood, Humans, Male, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid blood, Amino Acids blood, Autistic Disorder blood, Blood Platelets chemistry, Serotonin blood
- Abstract
The platelet levels of serotonin and the amino acids aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid were measured in 18 drug-free autistic (DSM-III criteria) and 14 age-matched healthy children. Serotonin was significantly increased while the amino acids aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid were significantly decreased in comparison with the controls. It is suggested that the decline of the amino acids in platelets from autistic children represents a biochemical marker related to infantile autism.
- Published
- 1993
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