title: CSF beta-endorphin levels in patients with infantile autism.
abstract: We measured CSF levels of beta-endorphin, an opioid hormone, in 19 patients with infantile autism and in 3 patients with Rett syndrome, and compared them with control values. In infantile autism, CSF levels of beta-endorphin did not differ significantly from those of age-matched controls. There was no significant correlation between CSF levels and clinical symptoms, including self-injurious behavior, pain insensitivity, and stereotyped movement. However, CSF levels of beta-endorphin were significantly higher in the patients with Rett syndrome than in the control (p < .05). Data suggest that neurons containing beta-endorphin may not be involved in patients with infantile autism. Thus, there is no relationship between dysfunction of brain opioid and autism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagamitsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kisa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ohtaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry; D015518:Rett Syndrome / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin