Baseline Urinary Micronutrient, Neurotransmitter and Behavioural Profiles of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jos Metropolis, Plateau State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Autism; urinary micronutrients; urinary neurotransmitters; γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA); glutamate; GABA:glutamate ratio; NigeriaAbstract
Evidence describing urinary micronutrient and neurotransmitter profiles among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, remains limited. This study characterised baseline urinary micronutrient and neurotransmitter profiles and parent-reported behavioural characteristics among children with ASD in Jos, Nigeria. This descriptive baseline analysis formed part of a broader three-point longitudinal repeated-measures intervention study involving 42 children with ASD recruited from three special education schools. Eight participants with complete baseline urinary micronutrient and neurotransmitter data were included in the present analysis. Spot urine samples were analysed for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and selenium (Se) using Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry for glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescence detection. Urinary concentrations were not creatinine-normalised. Data were summarised using median and interquartile range. Urinary Fe, Zn and Se concentrations were below the laboratory reference ranges in all eight participants, whereas Mg concentrations remained within range. Median (IQR) concentrations were 1.255 (1.089-1.739) ppm for Fe, 0.528 (0.365-0.672) ppm for Zn, 5.818 (5.290-6.116) ppm for Mg and 1.157 (1.114-1.209) ppm for Se. Median urinary glutamate and GABA concentrations were 16.358 (14.746-18.759) and 0.421 (0.364-0.608) µmol/L, respectively, with a median GABA:glutamate ratio of 0.026 (0.024-0.041). Behavioural scores varied across participants. The study provides descriptive baseline urinary biochemical and behavioural data from an under-represented Nigerian ASD population. Urinary micronutrient findings represent excretory profiles rather than definitive measures of systemic nutritional status, and the uncorrected spot-urine measurements warrant cautious interpretation. Larger studies incorporating creatinine-normalised urinary measures and established systemic nutritional biomarkers are needed.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gift C. Okpanachi, Yohanna M. Usman, John I. Ihenacho, Mariam D. Solomon (Author)
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