Diagnosis of autism and treatment therefor

Abstract

A method for diagnosing the likelihood of autism in patients is provided which comprises first obtaining from the patient a sample of body fluid such as urine and analyzing the sample to determine the quantity therein of at least one marker compound selected from the group consisting of citramalic acid, 5-hydroxy-methyl-2-furoic acid, 3-oxo-glutaric acid, furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, tartaric acid, furancarbonylglycine, arabinose, dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid, carboxycitric acid and phenylcarboxylic acid; if the quantities of one or more of the compounds are abnormally high, as compared with the urine of non-autistic individuals, an ultimate diagnosis of autism is likely. The invention also pertains to a method of treating autistic patients by administration of antifungal drugs, in order to ameliorate the clinical symptoms of autism.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.