[Identification of aminoacidopathies using thin layer chromatography of urine]

The aminoacidopathies, inborn errors of aminoacids metabolism, are rare pathological conditions that have mental retardation as secondarty cause. Using TLC with cellulose as adsorvent and using specific solvents and developer, we can obtain early diagnosis of a great number of those biochemical deviations. The authors based themselves in Ersser's publications to effect this research, now in its initial phase. The author's principal aim is to transform the semi-quantitative method into a quantitative one and to early diagnose the metabolic errors of aminoacids.