Platelet monoamine oxidase in early childhood autism.

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was studied in 31 individuals suffering from early childhood autism and was not significantly different from that found in normal children or adults. In the autistic children, MAO activity decreased with age, and there was a trend toward greater platelet MAO activity in prepubertal and pubertal male autistic children relative to normal male children. Total platelet counts were not elevated in autistic children.