The plasma zinc/serum copper ratio as a biomarker in children with autism spectrum disorders |
| |
| Authors: | Scott Faber Gregory M. Zinn John C. Kern II H. M. Skip Kingston |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. The Children’s Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USAsfa@the-institute.org;3. Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry;4. Mathematics and Computer Science, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | The frequency of zinc deficiency, copper toxicity and low zinc/copper in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may indicate decrement in metallothionein system functioning. A retrospective review of plasma zinc, serum copper and zinc/copper was performed on data from 230 children with autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-NOS and Asperger’s syndrome. The entire cohort’s mean zinc level was 77.2 μg dl?1, mean copper level was 131.5 μg dl?1, and mean Zn/Cu was 0.608, which was below the 0.7 cut-off of the lowest 2.5% of healthy children. The plasma zinc/serum copper ratio may be a biomarker of heavy metal, particularly mercury, toxicity in children with ASDs. |
| |
| Keywords: | Plasma zinc/serum copper ratio zinc deficiency metallothionein system dysfunction mercury autistic disorder pervasive developmental disorder-NOS Asperger’s syndrome |
|
|
