Vienna, Virginia http://www.909shot.com
“Protecting the health and
informed consent rights of children since 1982.”
New Research Suggests Cause of Autism
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&
STORY=/www/story/05-10-2001/0001490675&EDATE=
NEW ORLEANS, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Autism—a poorly
understood genetic disorder present in more than a half million Americans—may
be caused by a defect in metal metabolism that impairs the development of the brain
and can result in hypersensitivity to toxic environmental substances. In a study of 503 autism patients, 99
percent exhibited evidence of this metabolic disorder, according to information
presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric
Association.Blood and urine analyses yielded evidence of a metallothionein (MT)
dysfunction in 499 of 503 patients (99 percent) diagnosed with autism spectrum
disorders, according to William J. Walsh, Ph.D., biochemist and chief scientist
of the Pfeiffer Center, Naperville, Ill., and Anjum Usman, M.D., a physician at
the Center, who presented the findings in a presentation at the APA meeting.” MT
is a family of proteins essential for many important processes in the body, and
a dysfunction in this system can explain most of the classic symptoms observed in
autism,” said Dr. Walsh. “An MT
disorder may affect the development of brain neurons and may cause impairments
in the immune system and gastrointestinal tract, along with hypersensitivity to
toxic metals,” he said. The study included a search for distinctive chemical
markers for the major components of autism spectrum conditions, including
classic autism, Asperger’s Disorder and pervasive development disorder with
autistic features.
No substantive differences were found among these
populations. However all three populations
exhibited a very high incidence of a severe metal-metabolism disorder.” A
careful analysis indicated that all but 4 of the 503 autism-spectrum subjects
exhibited evidence of a metal metabolism disorder associated with MT functioning,”
Dr. Walsh said. The study findings
suggest that the primary cause of autism may be an inborn error in MT
functioning, perhaps aggravated by an environmental insult, he said. The study
findings also suggest that autism may be caused by either a genetic MT defect
or a biochemical abnormality, which disables MT protein. If correct, the study finding could lead to
an early infant screening test for autism predisposition, and advanced treatments
to correct the metal-metabolism disorders.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT -
Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X64004797
SOURCE Pfeiffer Treatment Center
Web Site: http://www.hriptc.org
News@909shot.com is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information
Center and is supported through membership donations. Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how
to protect your informed consent rights http://www.909shot.com
To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to news-request@909shot.com
and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the email.
NVIC is funded through individual membership donations and
does not receive government funding. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and
Co-founder.
NOTE: This is not an interactive e-mail list. Please do
not respond to messages.
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.