Hyperserotoninemia and serotonin receptor antibodies in children with autism but not mental retardation

Abstract

Autism is a biological disorder manifesting psychiatric symptoms in children. The etiology is not known, although diverse factors may contribute to the cause of autism. The major symptoms are impaired social interaction, communication, and language skills. Apparently, they are related to abnormal development of certain centers within the brain, in particular cerebellum, brain stem, and limbic region (Bauman 1991). Hyperserotoninemia is seen in 30-66% of autistic children (Yuwiler et al 1992; Laszlo et al 1994), and some also have autoantibodies to brain serotonin receptor (Todd and Ciaranello 1985; Yuwiler et al 1992). Since up to 60% of autistic children show mental retardation, we measured serotonin levels and brain serotonin receptor antibodies in the plasmas of autistic, mentally retarded, and normal children. The present study describes hyperserotoninemia and serotonin receptor antibodies in autistic children but not in mentally retarded children.