Profiling plasma levels of thiamine and histamine in Jordanian children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): potential biomarkers for evaluation of ASD therapies and diet.

The current work involved monitoring two biomarkers in the plasma of children with ASD: the cofactor thiamine that is involved in neurotransmitters modulation for acetylcholine, and the compound histamine, which acts as a neuromodulator by regulating the release of other neurotransmitters. This is the first report to highlight the potential utilization of plasma levels of the selected two brain-related biomarkers in children with ASD. A total of 43 children with ASD of both genders (age 4-12 years) were involved in this study and compared to age and gender-matched control children ( = 42).

Heavy metals and trace elements in scalp hair samples of children with severe autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study on Jordanian children.

Background: Elemental analysis has been increasingly used for biomonitoring heavy metals and trace elements.

Methods: This study monitored the levels of two heavy metals (Al and Pb), and seven trace elements (Macroelements Mg, K, P and Ca; Microelements Zn, Cu, Fe) in scalp hair of 57 children with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 50 age-matched controls, using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry (ICP-AES).

Results: Compared to controls, significantly higher levels of Al (p =  0.