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Catecholamines metabolism in infantile autism: A controlled study of 22 autistic children

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 17, pages 333–347 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

In a group of 22 autistic children aged 5 to 16 years and a group of normal controls matched for age and sex, catecholamines metabolism was investigated in plasma, platelets, and urine. This investigation was part of a research project in which several biological parameters (including serotonin) were explored simultaneously in the same children. In the autistic group, epinephrine and norepinephrine were significantly elevated in plasma, while epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine were significantly lower in isolated platelets. No significant difference was found between the two groups for the urinary excretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, DOPAC, and MHPG. Other differences between the two groups in the statistical correlations of several biochemical parameters also suggest abnormalities of bioamine metabolism in the platelets of autistic children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Psychothérapie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital R. Debre, rue Alexis Carrel, 51100, Reims, France

    Jean -Marie Launay, Claude Bursztejn, Pierre Ferrari, Claude Dreux, Alain Braconnier, Edouard Zarifian, Sylvie Lancrenon & Jacques Fermanian

  2. Service de Biochimie et Neuroendocrinologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France

    Jean -Marie Launay, Claude Bursztejn, Pierre Ferrari, Claude Dreux, Alain Braconnier, Edouard Zarifian, Sylvie Lancrenon & Jacques Fermanian

Authors
  1. Jean -Marie Launay
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  2. Claude Bursztejn
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  3. Pierre Ferrari
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  4. Claude Dreux
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  5. Alain Braconnier
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  6. Edouard Zarifian
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  7. Sylvie Lancrenon
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  8. Jacques Fermanian
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Additional information

This work was supported by a grant of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM-ATP n∘ 73.79.105). We are indebted to Prof. M. Da Prada, Pharmaceutical Research Department, Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, for his continuous help throughout this work, and to Ms. D. Pasques, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, for her excellent technical assistance.

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Launay, J.M., Bursztejn, C., Ferrari, P. et al. Catecholamines metabolism in infantile autism: A controlled study of 22 autistic children. J Autism Dev Disord 17, 333–347 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01487064

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