Decreased serum Ou/Zn sOD in children with Autism

Aim To assess serum Cu/Zn SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) concentration in autistic children and evaluate its possible relationship to GI Symptoms. Subjects and Methods Serum from 50 autistic children (31 with chronic digestive disease (most with ileo-colonic lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (LNH) and inflammation of the colorectal, small bowel and/or stomach) and 19 autistic children without GI disease), and 29 non autistic controls (20 age matched non autistic children with no GI disease and 9 age matched non autistic children with GI disease) were tested for Cu/Zn SOD using ELISAs. Results Serum Cu/Zn SOD levels of autistic children were significantly lower than all non autistic controls (p < 0.0001). Serum Cu/Zn SOD of autistic children with severe GI disease was significantly lower than autistic children with no GI disease (p < 0.0001), non autistic children without GI disease (<0.0001) and non autistic children with GI disease (p = 0.0003). Discussion These results suggest an association between Cu/Zn SOD serum levels and autism, particularly autistic children with GI disease, and that the concentration of serum Cu/Zn SOD may be a useful biomarker for autistic children with severe GI disease.