] US Study Confirms Bowel Disease Findings In Children With Autism

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US Study Confirms Bowel Disease Findings In Children With AutismNeuropsychobiology. 2005 Feb 28;51(2):77-85Dysregulated Innate Immune Responses in Young Children with Autism SpectrumDisorders: Their Relationship to Gastrointestinal Symptoms and DietaryIntervention. Jyonouchi H, Geng L, Ruby A, Zimmerman-Bier B. Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark,N.J., USA. Autism researchers at the University of New Jersey Medical School inthe US have confirmed the original findings of researchers from the UK, byfinding evidence of marked inflammatory and immune abnormalities in childrenwith autism associated with gastrointestinal symptoms. The study compared the production of inflammatory andanti-inflammatory molecules by immune cells in autistic children onunrestricted (n = 100) or elimination (n = 77) diets with developmentallynormal children with non-allergic food hypersensitivity on unrestricted (n =14) or elimination (n = 16) diets, and healthy typically developingchildren. In response to challenge with bacterial toxins or dietary proteinsfrom cow’s milk, immune cells from autistic children with bowel symptomsshowed a strong pro-inflammatory response and a reduced ability to switchoff immune system activity compared with the other children. The authors conclude that the findings indicate intrinsic defects ofthese immune responses in autistic children with intestinal problems,suggesting a possible link between gastrointestinal and behavioral symptomsmediated by immune abnormalities. Dr Wakefield who led the team that first described intestinal diseasein UK children with autism and demonstrated very similar immuneabnormalities to those described by the New Jersey researchers in this groupof patients, now heads up Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin,Texas. Dr Wakefield confirmed the importance of these new findings andstressed their potential for increasing our understanding the role ofgastrointestinal inflammation in the behavioural symptoms in children withdevelopmental disorders such as autism. Thoughtful House in a not-for-profit organization dedicated torecovering children with developmental disorders through a uniquecombination of state of the art medical care, education and research.