Abstract
Plasma amino acid levels were measured in autistic and Asperger syndrome patients, their siblings, and parents. The results were compared with values from age-matched controls. Patients with autism or Asperger syndrome and their siblings and parents all had raised glutamic acid, phenylalanine, asparagine, tyrosine, alanine, and lysine (p < .05) than controls, with reduced plasma glutamine. Other amino acids were at normal levels. These results show that children with autistic spectrum disorders come from a family background of dysregulated amino acid metabolism and provide further evidence for an underlying biochemical basis for the condition.
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Aldred, S., Moore, K.M., Fitzgerald, M. et al. Plasma Amino Acid Levels in Children with Autism and Their Families. J Autism Dev Disord 33, 93–97 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022238706604
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022238706604