Carnosine supplementation does not affect serum concentrations of advanced glycation and precursors of lipoxidation end products in autism: a randomized controlled clinical trial

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Carnosine.

The aim of this trial was to examine the effects of carnosine supplementation on the advanced glycation end products and the precursors of advanced lipoxidation end products in patients with autism.

Why It Was Studied

Carnosine is a natural dipeptide with antiglycation effects.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 36 children taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as young children and children, both men and women.

This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 36 autistic children, 18 in the carnosine group and 18 in the placebo group.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The children were allocated by chance, so the Carnosine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Carnosine study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Some children received a placebo instead of Carnosine, giving a reference point.

Plasma concentrations of glycation and precursors of lipoxidation markers were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Autistic Disorder, Carnosine, Dietary Supplements, Glycation End Products, Advanced and Oxidative Stress.

The authors tagged it with the keywords Autism, advanced glycation end products, advanced lipoxidation end products, malondialdehyde and methylglyoxal.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Carnosine in 36 children.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 3 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2019 (Annals of clinical biochemistry), a journal based in England.

More context: the Carnosine compound page, all human trials.