Plasma antioxidant capacity is reduced in Asperger syndrome.
Recent evidence suggests that children with autism have impaired detoxification capacity and may suffer from chronic oxidative stress. To our knowledge, there has been no study focusing on oxidative metabolism specifically in Asperger syndrome (a milder form of autism) or comparing this metabolism with other psychiatric disorders. In this study, total antioxidant status (TAOS), non-enzymatic (glutathione and homocysteine) and enzymatic (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) antioxidants, and lipid peroxidation were measured in plasma or erythrocyte lysates in a group of adolescent patients with Asperger syndrome, a group of adolescents with a first episode of psychosis, and a group of healthy controls at baseline and at 8-12 weeks. TAOS was also analyzed at 1 year. TAOS was reduced in Asperger individuals compared with healthy controls and psychosis patients, after covarying by age and antipsychotic treatment. This reduced antioxidant capacity did not depend on any of the individual antioxidant variables measured. Psychosis patients had increased homocysteine levels in plasma and decreased copper and ceruloplasmin at baseline. In conclusion, Asperger patients seem to have chronic low detoxifying capacity. No impaired detoxifying capacity was found in the first-episode psychosis group in the first year of illness.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Dr Esquerdo 46, Madrid, Spain. parellada@hggm.es
Mara
M
Parellada
Carmen
C
Moreno
Karina
K
Mac-Dowell
Juan Carlos
JC
Leza
Marisa
M
Giraldez
Concepción
C
Bailón
Carmen
C
Castro
Patricia
P
Miranda-Azpiazu
David
D
Fraguas
Celso
C
Arango
D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D050216:Metabolic Detoxication, Phase I / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood
D006710:Homocysteine; D003300:Copper; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D005978:Glutathione