An Open-Label Case Series of Glutathione Use for Symptomatic Management in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can cause impaired social–emotional interactions, impaired language and communication skills, repetitive or restrictive behaviors, and sometimes aggressive behavior. An emerging topic in research is the imbalance between bodily oxidative systems and anti-oxidative stress in autism spectrum cases. Glutathione (an antioxidant agent) is involved in many anti-oxidative stress systems, but our research target is to study the role of glutathione as a neuro-protective agent. Our pilot study demonstrates general glutathione tolerability and some efficacy in decreasing problematic behaviors observed in children with ASD. ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder that has been diagnosed in an increasing number of children around the world. The existing data suggest that early diagnosis and intervention can improve ASD outcomes. The causes of ASD remain complex and unclear, and there are currently no clinical biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder. There is an increasing recognition that ASD might be associated with oxidative stress through several mechanisms including abnormal metabolism (lipid peroxidation) and the toxic buildup of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutathione acts as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger and a detoxifying agent. This open-label pilot study investigates the tolerability and effectiveness of oral supplementation with Opitac(TM) gluthathione as a treatment for patients with ASD. The various aspects of glutathione Opitac(TM) glutathione bioavailability were examined when administered by oral routes. The absorption of glutathione from the gastrointestinal tract has been recently investigated. The results of this case series suggest that oral glutathione supplementation may improve oxidative markers, but this does not necessarily translate to the observed clinical improvement of subjects with ASD. The study reports a good safety profile of glutathione use, with stomach upset reported in four out of six subjects. This article discusses the role of the gut microbiome and redox balance in ASD and notes that a high baseline oxidative burden may make some patients poor responders to glutathione supplementation. In conclusion, an imbalance in redox reactions is only one of the many factors contributing to ASD, and further studies are necessary to investigate other factors, such as impaired neurotransmission, immune dysregulation in the brain, and mitochondrial dysfunction.