The Abnormality of Tryptophane Metabolism in Children with Mongolism

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Abstract
The 7-hour urinary excretion coefficients of 5HIAA, kynurenic acid, xanthurenic acid, kynurenine, hydroxykynurenine, hydroxyanthranilic acid, methylnicotinamide and 4-pyridoxic acid were measured in 21 children with mongolism and in a comparable group of 19 non-mongoloid mental defectives after an oral load of 100 mg/kg of 1-tryptophane. The results suggest an abnormality of hydroxykynurenine transaminase resulting in diminished conversion of hydroxykynurenine to xanthurenic acid in the children with mongolism.