Abstract
Objective: To investigate the estimated capacity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) and whole blood to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in children with autism and mental retardation, and compare it with normal children
Design: Cohort study conducted between January and April 2007
Setting: Chemiluminescence laboratory (CL), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Subjects: Forty autistic and eight mentally retarded children
Interventions: Oxygen free radical production (O-2-, H2O2, OH-) was detected by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence, from isolated PMNLs and whole blood, stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and opsinized zymazan (OPZ).
Main Outcome Measures: Oxygen free radical production from whole blood and PMNLs
Results: Forty autistic (35 male and five female), and eight mentally retarded children (study group) were compared with forty six normal Saudi children (control group). The mean age was 7.4 +/- 0.5 years. The CL peak response of whole blood and PMNLs stimulated with PMA and OPZ, in autistic children was significantly higher(p < 0.05) compared to control children. However, the CL peak response in children with mental retardation did not show any significant differences when compared to the control group.
Conclusion: There is an increase in oxygen free radicals production from whole blood and from PMNLs in autistic children. Therefore, an increase the antioxidant consumption in autistic children is strongly recommended.