Anastasescu Cătălina Mihaela, Gheorman Veronica, Popescu Florica, Stoicănescu Eugen-Cristi, Gheorman Victor, Riza Anca-Lelia, Badea Oana, Streață Ioana, Militaru Felicia, Udriștoiu Ion
Hospital of Neuropsychiatry Craiova, Children Mental Health Center, Pharmacology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Department of Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Sep 7;11(18):2487. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11182487.
The objective of this study was to analyze the serum amino acid profile in children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in southern Romania. The analysis aimed to provide insights into the underlying metabolic dysregulations associated with ASD. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, communication deficits, and restricted repetitive behaviors. Although the exact cause of ASD is largely unknown, recent evidence suggests that abnormalities in amino acid metabolism may contribute to its pathogenesis. Therefore, studying the amino acid profile in children with ASD could offer valuable information for understanding the metabolic disturbances associated with this complex disorder. This single-center study examined serum samples from children diagnosed with ASD, utilizing advanced analytical techniques to quantify the levels of different amino acids, amino acid derivatives, and amino acid-like substances. The results showed a lower level of taurine and a higher level of asparagine and leucine in the ASD group versus the control group. In the ASD group, we observed significant differences in tryptophan and alpha-aminobutyric acid levels based on age, with higher tryptophan levels in children older than 7 years when compared to children younger than 7 years; however, no significant correlations were found with the ASD group older than 7 years old. Additionally, younger children with ASD exhibited higher levels of alpha-aminobutyric acid than older children with ASD. The findings from this study contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the metabolic aspects of ASD, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for improving the management and treatment of ASD in children.
本研究的目的是分析罗马尼亚南部被诊断为自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的儿童的血清氨基酸谱。该分析旨在深入了解与ASD相关的潜在代谢失调情况。ASD是一种神经发育障碍，其特征为社交互动受损、沟通缺陷以及受限的重复行为。尽管ASD的确切病因在很大程度上尚不清楚，但最近的证据表明氨基酸代谢异常可能在其发病机制中起作用。因此，研究ASD儿童的氨基酸谱可为理解与这种复杂疾病相关的代谢紊乱提供有价值的信息。这项单中心研究检测了被诊断为ASD的儿童的血清样本，利用先进的分析技术来量化不同氨基酸、氨基酸衍生物和氨基酸样物质的水平。结果显示，与对照组相比，ASD组的牛磺酸水平较低，天冬酰胺和亮氨酸水平较高。在ASD组中，我们观察到色氨酸和α-氨基丁酸水平因年龄存在显著差异，7岁以上儿童的色氨酸水平高于7岁以下儿童；然而，7岁以上的ASD组未发现显著相关性。此外，患有ASD的年幼儿童比患有ASD的年长儿童表现出更高的α-氨基丁酸水平。本研究的结果有助于增加关于ASD代谢方面的知识，突出了改善儿童ASD管理和治疗的潜在生物标志物和治疗靶点。
