Autism Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Autism, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, effects. | ||||||||
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Increased serum levels of glutamate in adult patients with autism.Shinohe A, Hashimoto K, Nakamura K, Tsujii M, Iwata Y, Tsuchiya KJ, Sekine Y, Suda S, Suzuki K, Sugihara G, Matsuzaki H, Minabe Y, Sugiyama T, Kawai M, Iyo M, Takei N, Mori N Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan. BACKGROUND: Precise mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of autism are currently unknown. Given the major role of glutamate in brain development, we have hypothesized that glutamatergic neurotransmission plays a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we studied whether amino acids (glutamate, glutamine, glycine, D-serine, and L-serine) related to glutamatergic neurotransmission are altered in serum of adult patients with autism. METHODS: We measured serum levels of amino acids in 18 male adult patients with autism and age-matched 19 male healthy subjects using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Serum levels (mean = 89.2 microM, S.D. = 21.5) of glutamate in the patients with autism were significantly (t = -4.48, df = 35, p < 0.001) higher than those (mean = 61.1 microM, S.D. = 16.5) of normal controls. In contrast, serum levels of other amino acids (glutamine, glycine, d-serine, l-serine) in the patients with autism did not differ from those of normal controls. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.523, p = 0.026) between serum glutamate levels and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) social scores in patients. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that an abnormality in glutamatergic neurotransmission may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism. Published 30 October 2006 in Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 30(8): 1472-7.
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