Abstract:
The principal objective of this project was to determine if children with autism have an altered urinary porphyrin excretion pattern compared with that observed in age-matched neurotypical controls. Additional objectives were to establish normative urinary porphyrin concentrations for neurotypical children between ages 2 and 12 years and to confirm or refute reports from other laboratories that children with autism display a unique porphyrin excretion pattern comparable to that previously shown to be associated with occupational mercury exposure in adults.