Plasma antioxidant capacity is reduced in Asperger syndrome

A comparative study of the oxidative stress indices of children with autism and healthy children

“…9,17 Studies have also demonstrated lower vitamin E in children with ASD. 7 The findings regarding TAS and thiol levels in this study are consistent with a previous study 18 which demonstrated lower TAS in autistic patients relative to controls and patients suffering their first psychotic episode. Post-mortem investigations support the idea that lower TAS and thiol aggravate neuronal damage due to typical or increased oxidant levels, undermining defenses in susceptible patients.…”

Deficits in Bioenergetics and Impaired Immune Response in Granulocytes From Children With Autism

“…Taken together, these findings are in agreement with those reporting immune dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, and decreased antioxidant or repair capacity in some cases of autism. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][47][48][49][50] Several studies suggest that pre-or perinatal exposure to certain triggers might imprint a state of both dysregulated immune response and mitochondrial dysfunction in the progeny as a result of the integration of basic mitochondrial functions with the immune response and antioxidant defense mechanisms. [51][52][53][54][55] Furthermore, maternal exposure during pregnancy to various pathogens and/or the maternal immune response (fever, inflammation) have been associated with significant increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).…”

“…A higher incidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, 1 altered immune response, [2][3][4] increased cellular oxidative damage 1,5,6 and decreased antioxidant defenses 5,[7][8][9][10][11] has been reported in autism, possibly contributing to its etiology and/or morbidity. Thus, we explored the possibility that these pathways could be conceived as part of a common, integrated mechanism in which basic mitochondrial functions would play a central role.…”

Oxidative Stress and Dietary Interventions in Autism: Exploring the Role of Zinc, Antioxidant Enzymes and Other Micronutrients in the Neurobiology of Autism

“…There is compelling evidence that cumulative damage by oxidative species play a role in many diseases including autism [17]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are unstable and aggressive molecules, which have the tendency to give their unpaired electron to other cellular molecules or snatch electrons from other molecules to attain stability [18].…”