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Is Taurine a Biomarker in Autistic Spectrum Disorder?

  • Conference paper
Taurine 10

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 975))

Abstract

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid which is not incorporated into protein. However, taurine has various critical physiological functions including development of the eye and brain, reproduction, osmoregulation, and immune functions including anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidant activity. The causes of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are not clear but a high heritability implicates an important role for genetic factors. Reports also implicate oxidative stress and inflammation in the etiology of ASD. Thus, taurine, a well-known antioxidant and regulator of inflammation, was investigated here using the sera from both girls and boys with ASD as well as their siblings and parents. Previous reports regarding taurine serum concentrations in ASD from various laboratories have been controversial. To address the potential role of taurine in ASD, we collected sera from 66 children with ASD (males: 45; females: 21, age 1.5–11.5 years, average age 5.2 ± 1.6) as well as their unaffected siblings (brothers: 24; sisters: 32, age 1.5–17 years, average age 7.0 ± 2.0) as controls of the children with ASD along with parents (fathers: 49; mothers: 54, age 28–45 years). The sera from normal adult controls (males: 47; females: 51, age 28–48 years) were used as controls for the parents. Taurine concentrations in all sera samples were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a phenylisothiocyanate labeling technique. Taurine concentrations from female and male children with ASD were 123.8 ± 15.2 and 145.8 ± 8.1 μM, respectively, and those from their unaffected brothers and sisters were 142.6 ± 10.4 and 150.8 ± 8.4 μM, respectively. There was no significant difference in taurine concentration between autistic children and their unaffected siblings. Taurine concentrations in children with ASD were also not significantly different from their parents (mothers: 139.6 ± 7.7 μM, fathers: 147.4 ± 7.5 μM). No significant difference was observed between adult controls and parents of ASD children (control females: 164.8 ± 4.8 μM, control males: 163.0 ± 7.0 μM). However, 21 out of 66 children with ASD had low taurine concentrations (<106 μM). Since taurine has anti-oxidant activity, children with ASD with low taurine concentrations will be examined for abnormal mitochondrial function. Our data imply that taurine may be a valid biomarker in a subgroup of ASD.

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Abbreviations

ASD:

Autistic spectrum disorder

PITC:

Phenylisothiocyanate

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Albany, NY. We are thankful to Dr. William Levis for discussing the research and reviewing this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, NY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Eunkyue Park & Georgia Schuller-Levis

  2. Department of Psychology, NY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Ira Cohen & Maripaz Gonzalez

  3. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Division of Research, Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital-Northwell Health, Staten Island, NY, 10305, USA

    Mario R. Castellano

  4. Department of Infant Development, NY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Michael Flory

  5. Department of Human Genetics, NY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Edmund C. Jenkins & W. Ted Brown

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  1. Eunkyue Park
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Correspondence to Eunkyue Park .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences, University of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea

    Dong-Hee Lee  & Ha Won Kim  & 

  2. College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA

    Stephen W. Schaffer

  3. Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, USA

    Eunkyue Park

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Park, E. et al. (2017). Is Taurine a Biomarker in Autistic Spectrum Disorder?. In: Lee, DH., Schaffer, S.W., Park, E., Kim, H.W. (eds) Taurine 10. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 975. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1079-2_1

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