title: Novel metabolic biomarkers related to sulfur-dependent detoxification pathways in autistic patients of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xenobiotics are neurotoxins that dramatically alter the health of the child. In addition, an inefficient detoxification system leads to oxidative stress, gut dysbiosis, and immune dysfunction. The consensus among physicians who treat autism with a biomedical approach is that those on the spectrum are burdened with oxidative stress and immune problems. In a trial to understand the role of detoxification in the etiology of autism, selected parameters related to sulfur-dependent detoxification mechanisms in plasma of autistic children from Saudi Arabia will be investigated compared to control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 males autistic children aged 3-15 years and 20 age and gender matching healthy children as control group were included in this study. Levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), total (GSH+GSSG), glutathione status (GSH/GSSG), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione- s-transferase (GST), thioredoxin (Trx), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and peroxidoxins (Prxs I and III) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduced glutathione, total glutathione, GSH/GSSG and activity levels of GST were significantly lower, GR shows non-significant differences, while, Trx, TrxR and both Prx I and III recorded a remarkably higher values in autistics compared to control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impaired glutathione status together with the elevated Trx and TrxR and the remarkable over expression of both Prx I and Prx III, could be used as diagnostic biomarkers of autism.
authors: Biochemistry Department, Science College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Yusra A
authors: YA
authors: Al-Yafee
authors: Laila Y
authors: LY
authors: Al-Ayadhi
authors: Samina H
authors: SH
authors: Haq
authors: Afaf K
authors: AK
authors: El-Ansary
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000097:blood; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D008297:Male; D054464:Peroxiredoxins / Q000097:blood; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / Q000097:blood; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013879:Thioredoxins; D013455:Sulfur; D054464:Peroxiredoxins; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione