title: Serotonin and autism: biochemical and molecular biology features.
abstract: Whole blood and urinary levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) and the derivative urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in normal and autistic subjects. An association was tested between autism and a marker coding for the 5-HT2A serotonergic receptor gene. Significant group (high urinary 5-HT and low whole blood 5-HT in autism) and age effects (urinary 5-HT decrease with age) were found. Moreover, whole blood 5-HT levels were correlated with clinical state. No differences in allele and genotype frequencies for the 5-HT2A receptor marker were found in this autistic population compared with age-matched healthy students.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire, INSERM U 316, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hérault
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cherpi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perrot
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barthélémy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lelord
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Müh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin