title: Effect of camel milk on thymus and activation-regulated chemokine in autistic children: double-blind study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the role of the effectiveness of camel milk (CM) (raw and boiled) on thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) serum levels and childhood autism rating scale (CARS) score in subjects with autism and compared to placebo group (cow milk).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five subjects diagnosed with autism were randomly assigned to receive boiled CM for group I (n = 15), raw CM for group II (n = 15), and placebo for group III (n = 15) for 2 wk. Measures included changes in professionally completed CARS score and blood samples for TARC serum level were taken before and after milk consumption of 500 ml per day in children's regular daily diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of TARC decreased significantly (P = 0.004) in boiled CM and in raw CM group (P = 0.01) too, but no effect was observed (P = 0.68) in placebo group. Furthermore, significant improvements were observed in CARS score (P = 0.04) in raw CM group only. There were no significant relationships between the serum of TARC level and the CARS score, age, or gender for any group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CM administered for 2 wk significantly improved clinical measurements of autism severity and decreased serum level of TARC in autistic children, but subsequent studies are recommended.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Physiology, Autism Research and Treatment Center, Shaik AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [2] Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Autism Research and Treatment Center, Shaik AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Laila Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Al-Ayadhi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D002162:Camelus; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk
chemical_list: D054414:Chemokine CCL17