REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN HAIR MACROELEMENTS CONTENT OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND SAUDI ARABIA

L.N. Chernova¹, G.D.Morozova², B. Kabki³

¹I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University),
Trubetskaya str., 8/2, Moscow, Russian Federation

²Golikov Research Center of Toxicology,
Bekhtereva str., 1, 192019, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

³Peoples Friendship University of Russia,
Mikluho-Maklaya str., 6, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

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ABSTRACT. It’s well known that metallomic profile of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by special features. The purpose of this study was to identify regional differences in hair macroelements content of children with ASD from the Russian Federation (RF) and Saudi Arabia. To do this, we have measured levels of potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P) in hair samples of 266 boys aged 2-11 years (133 children from RF and 133 children from Saudi Arabia) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was found that the boys from Saudi Arabia had a significantly higher hair content of all the studied macroelements compared to boys from RF: Ca (2 times higher, p < 0,001), K (1,5 times higher, p < 0,001), Mg (1,8 times higher, p < 0,001), Na (1,6 times higher, p < 0,001), and P (1,2 times higher, p < 0,05). When assessing the ratios in boys with ASD from Saudi Arabia, a significantly higher Ca/P ratio was revealed (1,8 times higher, p < 0,001). The obtained results indicate the need to take into account the regional factor when assessing hair content of chemical elements.