Open AccessIs There a Dysregulation of Backdoor Pathway of Androgen Synthesis in Autistic Disorders?
Author(s) -
Benedikt Gasser,
Johann Kurz,
Bernhard Dick,
Markus Mohaupt
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
global journal of medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2249-4618
pISSN - 0975-5888
DOI - 10.34257/gjmrfvol20is1pg9
Subject(s) - androsterone , autism , asperger syndrome , etiocholanolone , testosterone (patch) , backdoor , psychology , medicine , endocrinology , androgen , psychiatry , hormone , steroid , computer security , computer science
Background: Several time associations of androgens and autism were implied. Therefore, we hypothesized that a dysregulation of backdoor pathway during puberty might be one factor affecting dysregulated androgens in autism. Material & Methods: Urine samples were collected from 20 boys originally diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, 21 boys with Kanner syndrome, 8 with Atypical autism as well as 5 girls with Asperger syndrome, 10 girls with Kanner Syndrome and one with Atypical autism and a control group for gas chromatography mass spectrometry based steroid hormone analysis. As Etiocholanolone (E) originates almost exclusively from the classic pathway and Androsterone (A) may be derived additionally from the backdoor pathway analyses of A/E ratios in affected autistic boys and girls were used to identify a potential dysregulation of backdoor pathway of androgen synthesis. Results: In Kanner boys Androsterone and Eticholanolone showed increased concentrations of around fifty percent (p < 0.01). In addition, in boyswith Asperger Syndrome an increase of Androsterone (p < 0.01) and Eticholanolone (p < 0.01) was detected.