Determination of the Candidiasis Marker in the Urine of Autistic Children

Abstract

Introduction: Determination of the D/L-arabinitol ratio in urine appears to be a useful diagnostic test to indicate overgrowth of Candida yeast. The aim of this study was to find out whether levels of D/L-arabinitol ratio in the urine of children with  autism are heightened.

Material and methods: D/L-arabinitol ratio in urine was determined by capillary gas chromatography with electron  capture detection (GC-ECD). Urine samples were collected from 83 autistic children  (2.5–16 years old) and from 50 healthy children (1.5-16 years old).

Results: (16.87%) of autistic children under study had an elevated D/L ratio in urine (>4.25). For 8 of them, the stated norm  was  exceeded less than twice (D/L: 4.39-6.98); for 4 of them the levels of  D/L-arabinitol were higher than cutoff limit 2-3 times (D/L: 8.57-11.6); for 1 child the norm was  exceeded over 5-times (D/L: 21.76); 1 child had a highly rebounding value (D/L: 89.13).       

Conclusion: Some of the autistic children show  a raised D/L- arabinitol ratio in urine. Such percentage, in comparison to that reported in literature  for other hospitalized patients, is lower than in the case of hematological, cardiac diseases and cancer, but higher than in the case of children from intensive care unit and persons after long term antibiotic therapies.