TABLE 1.
Mean plasma metabolite concentrations (±SD) in age-matched control children, children who had autism at baseline before intervention, and children with autism after 3-mo intervention with methylcobalamin and folinic acid1
| Children with autism |
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| Plasma metabolite concentration | Control children (n = 42) | Pretreatment (n = 40) | Posttreatment (n = 40) | P value2 |
| Methionine | 24 ± 3 | 21 ± 43 | 22 ± 34 | NS |
| SAM (nmol/L) | 78 ± 22 | 66 ± 133 | 69 ± 124 | NS |
| SAH (nmol/L) | 14.3 ± 4.3 | 15.2 ± 5 | 14.8 ± 4 | NS |
| SAM:SAH (μmol/L) | 5.6 ± 2.0 | 4.7 ± 1.53 | 5.0 ± 2.0 | NS |
| Homocysteine (μmol/L) | 5.0 ± 1.2 | 4.8 ± 1.8 | 5.3 ± 1.1 | 0.04 |
| Cysteine (μmol/L) | 210 ± 18 | 191 ± 243 | 215 ± 19 | 0.001 |
| Cysteinylglycine (μmol/L) | 45 ± 6 | 40 ± 93 | 46 ± 9 | 0.002 |
| tGSH (μmol/L) | 7.5 ± 1.8 | 5.4 ± 1.33 | 6.2 ± 1.24 | 0.001 |
| fGSH (μmol/L) | 2.8 ± 0.8 | 1.5 ± 0.43 | 1.8 ± 0.44 | 0.008 |
| GSSG (μmol/L) | 0.18 ± 0.07 | 0.28 ± 0.083 | 0.22 ± 0.064 | 0.001 |
| tGSH:GSSG | 47 ± 18 | 21 ± 63 | 30 ± 94 | 0.001 |
| fGSH:GSSG | 17 ± 6.8 | 6 ± 23 | 9 ± 34 | 0.001 |
1
fGSH, free glutathione; SAH, S-adenosylhomocsyteine; SAM, S-adenosylmethionine; tGSH, total glutathione; GSSG, oxidized glutathione disulfide. NS, P > 0.05.
2
Pre- and posttreatment comparison.
3
Significantly different from control children, P < 0.005.
4
Significantly different from control children, P < 0.01.