Normal phospholipid-related signal transduction in autism.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that autism (a neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology) is associated with altered phospholipid-related signal transduction using the niacin skin flush test. This is the first reported use of this test in this disorder. The response to topical aqueous methyl nicotinate solution was recorded at 5-min intervals over 20 min in eight patients with autism and in 16 age- and sex-matched normal individuals with no history of this or any other major neuropsychiatric disorder. There was no significant difference between the mean volumetric niacin response (VNR) (+/- S.E.M.) in the patients with autism, 27.0 (+/- 2.2) mol s l(-1), and the mean VNR of 27.6 (+/- 2.4) mol s l(-1) in the control group (P>.8). Therefore, there appears to be no evidence of altered phosopholipid-related signal transduction in autism as assessed by this test. Furthermore, since the VNR is reduced in a related disorder, schizophrenia, these results suggest fatty acid abnormalities in autism are likely to differ from those in schizophrenia.