Pubmed: efficacy of mb12 and folinic for kids with autism

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19056591

Efficacy of methylcobalamin and folinic acid treatment on glutathione

redox status in children with autism. SJ, Melnyk S, Fuchs G,

Reid T, Jernigan S, Pavliv O, Hubanks A, Gaylor DW.

Departments of Pediatrics and Biostatistics, University of Arkansas

for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research

Institute, Little Rock, AR.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic abnormalities and targeted treatment trials

have been reported for several neurobehavioral disorders but are

relatively understudied in autism. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this

study was to determine whether or not treatment with the metabolic

precursors, methylcobalamin and folinic acid, would improve plasma

concentrations of transmethylation/transsulfuration metabolites and

glutathione redox status in autistic children. DESIGN: In an open-

label trial, 40 autistic children were treated with 75 mug/kg

methylcobalamin (2 times/wk) and 400 mug folinic acid (2 times/d) for

3 mo. Metabolites in the transmethylation/transsulfuration pathway

were measured before and after treatment and compared with values

measured in age-matched control children. RESULTS: The results

indicated that pretreatment metabolite concentrations in autistic

children were significantly different from values in the control

children. The 3-mo intervention resulted in significant increases in

cysteine, cysteinylglycine, and glutathione concentrations (P <

0.001). The oxidized disulfide form of glutathione was decreased and

the glutathione redox ratio increased after treatment (P < 0.008).

Although mean metabolite concentrations were improved significantly

after intervention, they remained below those in unaffected control

children. CONCLUSIONS: The significant improvements observed in

transmethylation metabolites and glutathione redox status after

treatment suggest that targeted nutritional intervention with

methylcobalamin and folinic acid may be of clinical benefit in some

children who have autism. This trial was registered at

clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00692315.