Abnormal circadian rhythm and cortisol excretion in autistic children: a clinical study.

Aim: To determine the circadian rhythm alteration of cortisol excretion and the level of corticosteroids in children with different grades of autism severity.

Methods: The study included 45 children with different grades of autism severity (low [LFA], medium [MFA], and high functioning autism [HFA]), 15 in each group, and 45 age/sex-matched children with typical development. The urinary levels of free cortisol (at three phases of 24-hour cycle), corticosteroids, vanilylmandelic acid, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid were determined.

Urinary oxidative stress markers in children with autism.

Unlabelled: Oxidative stress caused by increased production of free radicals and impaired functions of antioxidants remains as the major factor associated with the pathophysiology of many neuropsychiatric diseases.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to analyze the oxidative stress markers in urine sample since the collection of blood from these children is highly meticulous and also to evaluate whether these urinary markers can be correlated with the severity of autism.

Methods: The subjects of the study were 45 autistic children with different grades of severity (low functioning autism (LFA), medium functioning autism (MFA), and high functioning autism (HFA) according to Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), n=15 children in each group and 50 healthy children (age and sex matched).

A biochemical study on the level of proteins and their percentage of nitration in the hair and nail of autistic children.

Background: Autism is a complex disorder which is heterogeneous in nature with varying degrees of severity for which no specific biological marker has been identified. Several studies are focused on the hair and nail protein pattern as a means to identify specific markers for the diagnosis of many childhood disorders like mental retardation, dyslexia, trichorrhexis nodosa, trichothiodystrophy, etc. The present study is one such approach in investigating the electrophoretic pattern of proteins in hard keratins and their percentage of nitration since nitric oxide production and nitration of tyrosine residues in proteins of autistic children are the emerging topic of research.

Level of trace elements (copper, zinc, magnesium and selenium) and toxic elements (lead and mercury) in the hair and nail of children with autism.

Autism is a multi-factorial pathology observed in children with altered levels of essential and elevated levels of toxic elements. There are also studies reporting a decrease in nutritional trace elements in the hair and nail of autistic children with healthy controls; moreover, bioelements have been shown to play an important role in the central nervous system. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of trace elements like copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and selenium (Se) and toxic elements like mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in the hair and nail samples of autistic children and to evaluate whether the level of these elements could be correlated with the severity of autism.