Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of General Practice, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2021 Jul;66:126748. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126748. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
Disproportional heavy metals and essential elements were reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is obscure in etiology. Inevitably, the association is biased by diet and environmental factors.
Fifty pairs, one with ASD and the other living together from the same special school with cerebral palsy (CP), were recruited in Hangzhou (China), aged from 2 to 11 years old (74.0 % male). All samples were divided into two subgroups: preschool-aged (2-5 years old) and school-aged (6-10 years old). Heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb) and essential elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, Zn) in hair were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.
The children with ASD generally had lower hair levels of Mn (ASD 0.124 μg/g, CP 0.332 μg/g, P = 0.001) compared to the children with CP. After stratification for age, there were no significant differences detected in preschool-aged group. In school-aged group, the results exhibited the children with ASD had higher hair Pb (1.485 μg/g, 0.690 μg/g, P = 0.007) and Cu/Zn ratio (0.092, 0.060, P = 0.003), while hair Hg (0.254 μg/g, 0.353 μg/g, P = 0.016)、Mn (0.089 μg/g, 0.385 μg/g, P = 0.002)、Mg (17.81 μg/g, 24.53 μg/g, P = 0.014) and Zn (100.15 μg/g, 135.83 μg/g, P = 0.007) showed an opposite pattern.
These results suggest an imbalance of Mn in Chinese children with ASD.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童体内存在比例失调的重金属和必需元素，但其病因尚不清楚。不可避免的是，这种关联受到饮食和环境因素的影响。
本研究在杭州（中国）招募了 50 对儿童，每对儿童均来自同一所特殊学校，其中 1 名为 ASD 患儿，另 1 名为脑瘫（CP）患儿。这些儿童的年龄在 2 至 11 岁之间（74.0%为男性）。所有样本被分为两组：学龄前（2-5 岁）和学龄期（6-10 岁）。通过电感耦合等离子体质谱分析和火焰原子吸收光谱法对头发中的重金属（砷、汞、铅）和必需元素（铝、钙、铜、镁、锰、锌）进行定量分析。
与 CP 患儿相比，ASD 患儿的头发中 Mn 水平普遍较低（ASD 组 0.124μg/g，CP 组 0.332μg/g，P=0.001）。按年龄分层后，在学龄前组未发现显著差异。在学龄期组中，ASD 患儿的头发 Pb（1.485μg/g，0.690μg/g，P=0.007）和 Cu/Zn 比值（0.092，0.060，P=0.003）较高，而头发 Hg（0.254μg/g，0.353μg/g，P=0.016）、Mn（0.089μg/g，0.385μg/g，P=0.002）、Mg（17.81μg/g，24.53μg/g，P=0.014）和 Zn（100.15μg/g，135.83μg/g，P=0.007）水平较低。
这些结果表明，中国 ASD 儿童存在 Mn 失衡。
