Urinary epidermal and insulin-like growth factor excretion in autistic children.

Growth factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autism. We have investigated daily urinary excretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in autistic children (n=34, age 2-5 years) and age-matched control children (n=29). The mean urinary IGF-1 level was lower in the autism group than the control group (p=0.03). Height was normal. These findings suggest altered IGF-1 metabolism in young autistic children. The cause-effect relationship should be examined by longitudinal studies and insulin-like growth factor provocation tests.

Conversion disorder in children and adolescents: clinical features and comorbidity with depressive and anxiety disorders.

The aim of this study was to determine some of the demographical and clinical characteristics of conversion disorder in children and adolescents and to ascertain comorbidity with depressive and anxiety disorders. For this purpose 51 children and adolescents (mean age: 13.2 +/- 1.9, range: 9-16 years) who met DSM-IV criteria for conversion disorder were compared with a control group. The subjects of this study were mostly postpubertal girls, and pseudoseizure was the most frequent presentation. Misdiagnoses were frequent among these patients. Eight (15.7%) patients received a comorbid diagnosis of major depression and 19 (37.2%) patients had comorbid anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Significant differences between the two groups on depression and anxiety scales supported the clinical findings. It was concluded that clinicians should screen every patient with conversion disorder for major depression and anxiety disorders for a better outcome.