Maugh's mistake in: Possible Mercury, Autism Connection Found in Study - Texas school districts with the highest level of the toxic metal had the highest rate of the disorder]

March 17, 2005

[Please forward this email to LATimes reporter Tomas H. Maugh II. Thank you.]

* * * *

H. Maugh II offered a factual error in writing that the thimerosal/autism

" link has been largely discredited " (1). He is unaware of the published studies

supporting thimerosal's association with ADD, ADHD, sleep disorders, and autism

(eg, CDC 1999; see 2), and he seems oblivious to the fact that the IOM's report

which whitewashed thimerosal was a conclusion contractually ordered by the CDC

(see court transcript recently announced; 3-4).

Perhaps Maugh is just new at reporting about thimerosal and mercury.

Maugh II needs research more thoroughly so that his thimerosal articles don't

present inaccurate information. Furthermore, a major news story dwells in the

facts that (a) the CDC diluted its own thimerosal findings, ( the journal

" Pediatrics " published the diluted findings (5), and © the CDC specified (in

advance) what the Institute of Medicine's thimerosal findings would be.

Fourteen peer-reviewed, published citations regarding thimerosal's adverse

effects and mechanisms follow this letter and its cites 1 through 5.

Binstock

Researcher in Developmental & Behavioral Neuroanatomy

P.O. Box 1788

Estes Park CO 80517

(by appointment only)

>1. Possible Mercury, Autism Connection Found in Study

>Texas school districts with the highest level of the toxic metal had the

>highest rate of the disorder, researchers say.

>

>By H. Maugh II

>LATimes Staff Writer

>March 17, 2005

>http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-autism17mar17,1,1770760.story

>

>...Many parents have argued that thimerosal causes autism because their

>children seemed to develop the neurological disorder shortly after they

>received childhood vaccinations.

>

>That link has been largely discredited, and researchers are beginning to

>look at the potential effects of the metal from other sources...

>

2. CDC thimerosal findings in 1999 - subsequent data dilution by CDC

text synopsis

http://www.safeminds.org/Generation%20Zero%20Syn.pdf

full analysis, with charts

http://www.safeminds.org/Generation%20Zero%20Pres.pdf

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3. A byronchild world exclusive report Release: March 7, 2005 Contact:

Naomi Radunski,

Marketing and Strategy Byron Publications P/L

7 Palm Avenue Mullumbimby,

Australia 61 02 6684 4353

" This article may be freely posted, reproduced and distributed with

acknowledgement to both Reagan (author) and byronchild magazine

(also list http://www.byronchild.com). <http://www.byronchild.com%29.>If

you do so, please notify byronchild magazine through Naomi Radunski and

forward all copies (electronic and printed) to

vaccine@... or the above postal address.

Click here to download this article in .pdf format

<http://www.byronchild.com/Dragon.pdf>

" A Dragon By The Tail "

On the eve of an historic, billion-dollar world vaccination campaign, a

leaked transcript ignites questions of vaccine safety and research

corruption. Meanwhile, US senators fast-track a bill to protect vaccine

manufacturers from litigation. With millions of lives at stake, and

billions of dollars to loose, will a merger of philanthropy, big

business and compromised science win an epic race between corporate

agendas and medical ethics? In this world exclusive report, byronchild

exposes how the most powerful medical research bodies in the United

States compromise their vaccine safety research for vested interests, as

they assist in a global vaccine policy, while a bill looms in the

background to protect it all.

By Reagan

On January 24, 2005 -- the same day the Global Alliance for Vaccines and

Immunization (GAVI) announced the receipt of $750 million for its

historic world vaccination campaign -- seven US Senators introduced

Senate Bill 3 . The bill is an unprecedented act giving comprehensive

liability protections to vaccine manufacturers , restricting Freedom of

Information Acts on drug/vaccine safety, and pre-empting states' rights

to ban mercury from children's vaccines, all under the bill's official

title: ''Protecting America in the War on Terror Act of 2005''.

Meanwhile in Texas, after receiving an internal transcript that

allegedly proves the Institutes of Medicine's report denying a link

between childhood vaccines and autism last year was " predetermined " , a

US District Court judge has ordered the worlds' " big five " vaccine

manufacturers to " produce any and all documents relating to payments

made to, or stock ownership " by the seventeen members of the IOM's

Immunization and Safety Review Committee.

A court document submitting the IOM's leaked transcript as an exhibit in

the first civil juried lawsuit against the vaccine manufacturers states

the transcript proves the IOM committee, " predetermined the necessity of

not finding causality between vaccines and autism and/or neurological

injury " in its official reports on the issue.

Judge T. Ward also ordered the vaccine manufacturers to produce all

communications with " members of the World Health Organization, the

Center for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, the

Institute of Medicine, the Brighton Collaboration, or the Global

Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization relating to the issue whether the

thimerosal contained in pediatric vaccines causes autism or other

neurological disorders. "

When the vaccine manufacturer's legal counsel balked at the amount of

expense involved in producing such documentation for the court, Judge

Ward reassured the defense that the process could be useful for the more

than 300 pending lawsuits waiting to be tried in the US .

Vaccine manufacturers Aventis Pasteur, Merck, GlaxoKline, Wyeth and

Eli Lilly and Co. are cited as defendants in the lawsuit brought by the

parents of a child who developed autism after receiving mandatory

routine childhood immunizations.

The same IOM reports denying a link between vaccines and the country's

autism epidemic have been used:

.. to endorse standardized case definitions for Adverse Events Following

Immunizations for " global dissemination " ;

.. as justification for Senate Bill 3's sweeping provisions and

protections;

.. as a cause for no further federal monies to be spent on research of

the potential vaccine/autism link;

.. as a reason to silence media inquiries into vaccine safety issues;

.. and as a defense for dismissing over 4,500 petitions for vaccine

injuries in a federal court.

Is it possible that a closed meeting transcript alleged as proof of a

ploy to ignore vaccine risks, a near billion dollar grant for a global

vaccination campaign, emerging lawsuits for vaccine injuries and a

sweeping federal bill to protect vaccine manufacturers are unrelated?

Is it possible that in spite of US Congressional hearings and reports

citing widespread conflicts of interest between federal policy makers

and the vaccine industry that Senate Bill 3 will defy the US

Constitution's provisions for state and civil rights in order to shield

vaccine manufacturers from liability?

And finally, how will a world vaccine policy influenced by allegedly

" predetermined " safety reports implemented through a global alliance of

international governments and vaccine manufacturers with a fund of

billions headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, support or protect the

health and human rights of targeted Third-World country peoples?

History of the IOM's Immunization and Safety Review Committee

Insight to these questions may lie in the pivotal year of 1999, a year

preceded by a decade of declining vaccine sales, major breakups within

the manufacturing industry, increased requirements for routine childhood

vaccines, a growing autism epidemic, and researchers and media reports

questioning the safety of vaccines and their possible link to autism.

In 1999, as a US Congressional Government Reform Committee initiated an

investigation into the rampant conflicts of interest between federal

vaccine policy makers and manufacturers, a global rescue effort of the

sinking vaccine industry began with the formation of GAVI.

Originally funded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates through his

Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI's partnership of

international governments and vaccine manufacturers salvaged lagging

sales through an overhauled world vaccination campaign that placed GAVI,

headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, at the center of the reorganized

alliance.

Also formed in 1999 were the international Brighton Collaboration and

the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety.

Brighton's sole purpose was to create standardized case definitions for

Adverse Events Following Immunizations for " global dissemination " .

Brighton's steering committee members currently hail from the US FDA,

CDC, and Aventis Pasteur, a vaccine manufacturer and federal lawsuit

defendant.

Brighton's website does not include autism among its listed adverse events.

The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety has " concluded that

there is currently no evidence of mercury toxicity in infants, children,

or adults exposed to thimerosal in vaccines " and " that current WHO

immunization policy with respect to thimerosal containing vaccines

should not be changed. "

The Brighton Collaboration has been cited as being " fraught with

pitfalls and merges regulators and the regulated into an

indistinguishable group. "

" I am very concerned about the development of the Brighton

Collaboration, " stated US Congressional Representative Dave Weldon, MD,

(R-FL) at an Autism One Conference in May 2004. " Particularly troubling

is the fact that serving on the panels defining what constitutes an

adverse reaction to a vaccine, are vaccine manufacturers. What is even

worse is the fact that some of these committees are chaired by vaccine

manufacturers. It is totally inappropriate for a manufacturer of

vaccines to be put in the position of determining what is and is not an

adverse reaction to their product. Do we allow GM, Ford and Chrysler to

define the safety of their automobiles? "

In 1999, w ith GAVI's international partnership and Bill Gates' billions

on the way to rescue the industry, the CDC hired the IOM's Immunizations

and Safety Review Committee to examine multiple " vaccine safety

challenges " .

In its public report, the CDC specifically sited a 1998 British Lancet

study recommending more research into a potential link between the

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, negative press, public

information vaccine conferences, the Rotavirus vaccine recall and seven

congressional hearings questioning vaccine safety as impetus to employ

the IOM.

However, the CDC's ability to objectively and fairly evaluate vaccine

risks has been denounced by a three year long US congressional

investigation: " To date, studies conducted or funded by the CDC that

purportedly dispute any correlation between autism and vaccine injury

have been of poor design, under-powered, and fatally flawed. The CDC's

rush to support and promote such research is reflective of a

philosophical conflict in looking fairly at emerging theories and

clinical data related to adverse reactions from vaccinations...

" The CDC in general and the National Immunization Program in particular

are conflicted in their duties to monitor the safety of vaccines, while

also charged with the responsibility of purchasing vaccines for resale

as well as promoting increased immunization rates, " states the

congressional report. (View the report at

http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/GRC_6-15-00.pdf

<http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/GRC_6-15-00.pdf>)

" They serve as their own watchdog -- neither common nor desirable when

seeking unbiased research, " Weldon has stated in describing the CDC. " An

association between vaccines and autism would force CDC officials to

admit that their policies irreparably damaged thousands of children. Who

among us would easily accept such a conclusion about ourselves? Yet,

this is what the CDC is asked to do, " Weldon said.

When byronchild asked CDC spokesperson Curtis for a copy of the

contract that would detail the agreement between the IOM and the CDC,

stated that the contract would be available only in a heavily

" redacted " or blacked-out format.

The IOM stated " no comment " to byronchild about the leaked transcript or

its use in the pending civil court case.

The Transcript of the First Organizational Meeting of the IOM Committee

On January 11, 2001, the IOM's Immunization and Safety Review committee

members gathered for its first organizational meeting in Washington, DC.

It is this meeting's transcript that has been submitted as an exhibit by

Waters and Kraus, a Dallas, Texas law firm.

During the IOM's open meeting, Walter Orenstein, MD, the Director of the

National Immunization Program at the CDC, charged the committee to

specifically address: " the causal relationship between the vaccine and

adverse effect; the biologic mechanisms that could account for the

adverse effect; and the significance of the safety concern in the

context of society at large. " ( Orenstein presided over another leaked

CDC transcript from June 2000, see sidebar 1. )

However, according to Gordon , MD, Director of Strategic Planning

for the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health

(NIH) the IOM committee was hired by the CDC to " rule out the proposed

links " . The NIH serves as America's medical research agency.

stated in a Princeton University lecture summary that, " Four

current studies are taking place at the CDC in collaboration with the

NIH to rule out the proposed links between immunizations and autism,

immunizations and possible developmental regression, inflammatory bowel

disease and the MMR vaccine, and thimerosal and the risk of autism. In

order to undo the harmful effects of research claiming to link the MMR

vaccine to an elevated risk of autism, we need to conduct and publicize

additional studies, strengthen the program to assure parents of MMR's

safety, and further educate pediatricians and primary care physicians. "

Formerly served as the president of vaccine manufacturer and

federal lawsuit defendant Merck Vaccines from 1991 to 1999. According to

an LA Times story on February 8, 2005, while serving as president of

Merck, received a memo from Maurice R. Hilleman, MD, an

internationally renowned vaccinologist, who told that

six-month-old babies who received their vaccines on schedule would

receive a mercury dose 87 times higher than the Environmental Protection

Agency deemed safe. (The NIH announced a " sweeping ethics reform " on

February 1, 2005, see side bar 2. To view the Merck memo:

http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/LATimes-Merck_Memo_2-8-05.pdf

<http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/LATimes-Merck_Memo_2-8-05.pdf>)

From the beginning of the IOM committee's meeting behind the closed

doors of the National Academies of Science building on January 12, 2001,

committee members repeatedly expressed their " need for reassurance " and

concern over their charge, evidence, methodology, and public

communication goals, especially to parents.

" We've got a dragon by the tail here, " states a committee member in the

transcript. " At the end of the line, what we know is - and I agree -

that the more negative that presentation [the report] is, the less

likely people are to use vaccination, immunization, and we know what the

results of that will be. We are kind of caught in a trap. How we work

our way out of the trap, I think, is the charge. "

Instead of focusing on scientific data which could possibly tarnish the

current routine childhood vaccine policy, " The transcript sets forth in

significant detail stated biases, preferences and/or predetermination of

various committee members in January, 2001, i.e. before any medical or

scientific evidence had been presented to the committee (emphasis

added), " states t he court document.

Specifically sited are statements by the IOM's study director Kathleen

Stratton, PhD, and committee chair Marie McCormick, MD. These

statements, the law firm says, strongly suggest Stratton and McCormick

deliberately railroaded their committee into specific outcomes (all in

italics directly from court document):

Dr. McCormick, for example, in speaking of the CDC, noted that the

agency " wants us to declare, well, these things are pretty safe on a

population basis. " (See Exhibit 1 at page 33).

" The committee's bias and predetermination of the causality issues

presented are found at page 74 in a comment from Dr. Statton:

Dr. Stratton: " We said this before you got here, and I think we said

this yesterday, the point of no return, the line we will not cross in

public policy is to pull the vaccine, change the schedule. We could say

it is time to revisit this but we will never recommend that level. Even

recommending research is recommendations for policy. We wouldn't say

compensate, we wouldn't say pull the vaccine, we wouldn't say stop the

program. "

Similarly, Dr. McCormick, at page 97 in discussing whether autism could

be associated with vaccines, stated that " we are not ever going to come

down that it is a true side effect, " despite the fact that the committee

had not yet considered any evidence on this issue.

At page 123, Dr. Stratton indicated that, despite not having heard any

of the evidence, the probable conclusion was going to be that the

evidence was " inadequate to accept or reject a causal relation. "

" Chances are, when all is said and done, we are still going to be in

this category. It is just a general feeling that we probably still are

not going to be able to make a statement. "

Stratton joined the IOM in 1990 and was later awarded the IOM's Cecil

Research Award for her contributions to vaccine safety. McCormick is the

Sumner and Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal and Child Health at the

Harvard School of Public Health.

Congressmen, researchers and parents petitioned the IOM Committee to

delay their final meeting and report last year until an animal study

demonstrating a link between mercury and autism by Mady Hornig, MD, an

associate professor at Columbia University, could be completed.

The IOM refused to delay their final meeting and issued their " no link "

report on May 2004. The Columbia University study confirming the link

between mercury and autism was completed and presented to the public in

June 2004.

" This is a perfect example of the scientific findings that the IOM

ignored when creating their recent report on the potential of the

vaccine-autism link, " stated Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, NP, president of

Safeminds, an independent nonprofit organization. " The IOM was well

aware that studies like these were due for release, but chose to ignore

them...The findings in this study make clear that the IOM was more

interested in regurgitating CDC spin than incorporating hard science

like Dr. Hornig's report. Such information would force the government to

face the reality of the mercury threat and take definitive action to

protect countless children from potential neurological damage. "

The US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) - an independent investigative

and prosecutorial agency that serves as a channel for whistleblowers --

forwarded hundreds of disclosures " alleging public health and safety

concerns about childhood vaccines that include a mercury-based

preservative known as thimerosal, and its possible link to neurological

disorders, including autism " to the US Congress on May 20, 2004, the day

after the IOM issued its " no link " report.

The OSC letter requesting congressional action was addressed to US

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) - who introduced Senate Bill 3 and its

provisions for liability protection for vaccine manufacturers on January

24, 2005.

The OSC's letter to Gregg stated, " it appears there may be sufficient

evidence to find a substantial likelihood of a substantial and specific

danger to public health caused by the use of thimerosal/mercury in

vaccines because of its inherent toxicity... "

" Due to the gravity of the allegations, I am forwarding a copy of the

information disclosed to you in your capacity as Chairmen of the Senate

Committee and House Committee with oversight authority for HHS. I hope

that you will review these important issues and press HHS for a response

to this very serious public health danger, " states the OSC letter to

Gregg. (To view the OSC letter:

http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/OSC_Press_Release_5-20-04.pdf

<http://www.nomercury.org/science/documents/OSC_Press_Release_5-20-04.pdf>)

Conflict of Interest in IOM Governing Council

Currently, members of the IOM's governing Council include, among 19

others , Gail H. Cassell, PhD, of Eli Lilly and Company and Helene D.

Gayle, MD, from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - the same

foundation that donated the world's sixth largest charitable gift of

$1.5 billion to create and sustain GAVI.

Lilly is the original manufacturer of thimerosal, a mercury derivative

used in childhood vaccines as a preservative. The result of a discovery

process by law firm Waters and Kraus showed that Lilly knew of mercury's

toxicity as early as 1930 but nonetheless " secretly sponsored a human

toxicity study on patients already known to be dying of meningococcal

meningitis. "

" Lilly then cited this study repeatedly for decades as proof that

thimerosal was of low toxicity and harmless to humans, " states a press

release from the law firm.

While Lilly ceased the sale of thimerosal in 1991, their licensing

agreements demonstrate continued profits from the product until at least

2010.

Lilly is the single biggest contributor to the Republican Party from the

pharmaceutical industry donating $1.6 million in the last US election.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), co-sponsor of Senate Bill 3,

was the author of a controversial bill that contained a provision that

would protect Eli Lilly and other vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits

over mercury in the 2002 Homeland Security Act.

Frist's other notable tie to Lilly is the fact that the vaccine

manufacturer bought 5,000 copies of the senator's book on bioterrorism

and distributed them to physicians after September 11, 2001.

The basis of the Frist family fortune is the Hospital Corporation of

America (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital chain in the country,

which was founded by Frist's father and brother. (For more on Senator

Frist see sidebar 3).

GAVI - Using Corrupt Research to Vaccinate the World?

GAVI's public and private sector partners include governments in

industrialized and developing countries, UNICEF, the World Health

Organization, WHO, the World Bank, non-governmental organizations,

foundations, vaccine manufacturers, and public health and research

institutions. WHO and GAVI's headquarters are both in Geneva, Switzerland.

To date a total of almost $1.3 billion, in addition to the Gates

endowment, has been raised from international governments and private

sources as well as an additional $1.19 billion in pledges toward GAVI's

goal of a 90% routine immunization rate by 2010 for all of its 70

underdeveloped countries/grantees.

For vaccine manufacturers, the Gates' billions for GAVI represent a

guaranteed pipeline of money. For governments of undeveloped countries,

the funds may be used for any aspect of health as long as their

country's vaccine rate increases. If the rates drop, so do the funds.

According to GAVI figures, 4 million children have been vaccinated for

diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough; 42 million more children have

been vaccinated with hepatitis B; and 991 million single-use disposable

syringes have been produced for the program.

" GAVI relies on technical and scientific information and advice from

the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety. Based on the

committee's findings, GAVI and its partners will continue to support the

use of vaccines that contain thimerosal, " responded Gates Foundation

spokesperson Sorensen to byronchild's inquiry.

If the accusation that the IOM " predetermined " the outcome of their

reports is true, what does this bode for a worldwide vaccine policy that

is now being routinely employed through GAVI's partners and the

governments of undeveloped countries who rely on the IOM's vaccine

safety information to be accurate?

World Economic Forum questions GAVI's Global Vaccine Campaign

Is the solution for creating a healthy world a global vaccine campaign?

During the World Economic Forum's 2003 Annual Meeting in Davos,

Switzerland, GAVI's global vaccine campaign was intensely debated by

panelists.

WEF panelists were not convinced that GAVI's goals were realistic or a

panacea for the complex needs of underdeveloped countries.

" There is a strong tendency to see vaccines as a cure-all that can work

in isolation, " said Geoffrey , Founder and Consultant,

International Child Welfare and Health, Family AIDS Caring Trust, FACT,

Zimbabwe, and Social Entrepreneur. " Instead, vaccines must be set firmly

within a realistic and holistic context. In the past, in Europe, death

and disease dropped because of nutrition and education. Vaccines must

accompany poverty alleviation or children will be stunted both

physically and intellectually. "

The World Economic Forum is a global community of business, political,

intellectual and other leaders of society. The forum is an independent

international organization incorporated as a Swiss not-for-profit

foundation and has NGO consultative status with the Economic and Social

Council of the United Nations.

Autism - An Epidemic Too Big To Ignore

During the years that the IOM reports were drafted, 2001 to 2004, more

than 4,500 petitions for " vaccine injuries resulting in autism spectrum

disorder " , piled up in an Omnibus Autism Proceeding with the US Court of

Federal Claims.

Currently, autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the

United States, with one in 166 US children diagnosed with Autism

Spectrum Disorder, up from 1 in 2500 a decade ago, and over 1.77 million

affected.

In the last four years alone, the number of cases of autism has nearly

doubled in California. " It is growing much faster than the growth of the

population and other forms of childhood disabilities, " states Cliff

by, director of the State Department of Development Services.

A report by the independent Environmental Working Group issued in

December 2004 found that autistic children had less glutathione, an

antioxidant that helps rid the body of toxic metals, when compared to a

sample of healthy children. The study, led by Jill , PhD, a

professor of biochemistry and pediatrics at the University of Arkansas

for Medical Sciences, found that a glutathione deficit " may contribute

to the development and clinical manifestation of autism. "

Autism is not a disease but a 'condition' often characterized by a

failure to bond, lack of social interaction, avoidance of eye-to-eye

contact, difficulties in language development, and repetitive behaviors

known as stimming (self-stimulation). Milder forms of autism are

Asperger's Syndrome , Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Attention

Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder . Collectively they are known as Autism

Spectrum Disorder, ASD...

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4. For the actual transcript as filed in court:

Go to:

http://www.nomercury.org

On left column, click on IOM.

Look to and click on:

Closed Meeting Transcript of IOM - Immunization Safety Review

Committee <http://www.nomercury.org/iom.htm>

This transcript seems to clearly indicate the CDC was in charge of

the scope and direction of the IOM Committee

and heavily influenced the bias and predetermination of null or

negative findings. January 12, 2001

There you will find selected quotes from the document(s) now entered as

evidence in the court process.

For some extended reading, you can enjoy the entire

Transcript of Closed Meeting <http://www.nomercury.org/iom/iom.pdf>

On file in the US District Court of Texas, Eastern District; Case

#5:03-CV-141

5: Verstraeten T, RL, DeStefano F, Lieu TA, PH, Black SB,

Shinefield H, Chen RT; Vaccine Safety Datalink Team.

Safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines: a two-phased study of computerized

health maintenance organization databases.

Pediatrics. 2003 Nov;112(5):1039-48. Erratum in: Pediatrics. 2004

Jan;113(1):184. +

PMID: 14595043

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1: Neurotoxicology. 2005 Jan;26(1):1-8.

Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion: protection

with glutathione precursors.

SJ, Slikker W 3rd, Melnyk S, New E, Pogribna M, Jernigan S.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and

Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA.

jamesjill@...

Thimerosol is an antiseptic containing 49.5% ethyl mercury that has been used

for years as a preservative in many infant vaccines and in flu vaccines.

Environmental methyl mercury has been shown to be highly neurotoxic, especially

to the developing brain. Because mercury has a high affinity for thiol

(sulfhydryl (-SH)) groups, the thiol-containing antioxidant, glutathione (GSH),

provides the major intracellular defense against mercury-induced neurotoxicity.

Cultured neuroblastoma cells were found to have lower levels of GSH and

increased sensitivity to thimerosol toxicity compared to glioblastoma cells that

have higher basal levels of intracellular GSH. Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity

was associated with depletion of intracellular GSH in both cell lines.

Pretreatment with 100 microM glutathione ethyl ester or N-acetylcysteine (NAC),

but not methionine, resulted in a significant increase in intracellular GSH in

both cell types. Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester

or NAC prevented cytotoxicity with exposure to 15 microM Thimerosal. Although

Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children's vaccines, it is still

present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly, and to children in

developing countries. The potential protective effect of GSH or NAC against

mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible adjunct therapy to

individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing vaccinations.

PMID: 15527868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

2: Lancet. 2004 Oct 2;364(9441):1217; author reply 1217-8.

Comment on:

Lancet. 2002 Nov 30;360(9347):1737-41.

Mercury in vaccines and potential conflicts of interest.

Geier MR, Geier DA.

Publication Types:

Comment

Letter

PMID: 15464179 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

3: Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45.

Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent.

Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI.

Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of

Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY

10032, USA. mady.hornig@...

The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed by

mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex, and

autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability affects the

safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative, thimerosal, is

unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a highly heritable

neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus on environmental

exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family history in autism are

frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We hypothesized that autoimmune

propensity influences outcomes in mice following thimerosal challenges that

mimic routine childhood immunizations. Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice

showed growth delay; reduced locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and

densely packed, hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate

receptors and transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and

BALB/cJ, were not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and

provide a model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity.

PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4: Med Sci Monit. 2004 Mar;10(3):PI33-9. Epub 2004 Mar 1.

A comparative evaluation of the effects of MMR immunization and mercury doses

from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines on the population prevalence of

autism.

Geier DA, Geier MR.

President, MedCon, Inc, Silver Spring, MD, USA.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of MMR

immunization and mercury from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines on the

prevalence of autism. MATERIAL/METHODS: Evaluations of the Biological

Surveillance Summaries of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

the U.S. Department of Education datasets, and the CDC's yearly live birth

estimates were undertaken RESULTS: It was determined that there was a close

correlation between mercury doses from thimerosal--containing childhood vaccines

and the prevalence of autism from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. In

contrast, there was a potential correlation between the number of primary

pediatric measles-containing vaccines administered and the prevalence of autism

during the 1980s. In addition, it was found that there were statistically

significant odds ratios for the development of autism following increasing doses

of mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines (birth cohorts: 1985 and

1990-1995) in comparison to a baseline measurement (birth cohort: 1984). The

contribution of thimerosal from childhood vaccines (>50% effect) was greater

than MMR vaccine on the prevalence of autism observed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study agree with a number of previously

published studies. These studies have shown that there is biological

plausibility and epidemiological evidence showing a direct relationship between

increasing doses of mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines and

neurodevelopmental disorders, and measles-containing vaccines and serious

neurological disorders. It is recommended that thimerosal be removed from all

vaccines, and additional research be undertaken to produce a MMR vaccine with an

improved safety profile.

PMID: 14976450 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

5: Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70.

Comment in:

Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Jul;9(7):644; author reply 645.

Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and dopamine:

a

target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal.

Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, BS, Sukumar S, Shim S,

Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA

02115, USA.

Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth factors to

promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such as ethanol and heavy

metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising the possibility that they

might exert adverse effects on methylation. We found that insulin-like growth

factor-1 (IGF-1)- and dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and

folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma

cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent mechanism. The stimulation of

this pathway increased DNA methylation, while its inhibition increased

methylation-sensitive gene expression. Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1

activation of MS and blocked its effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not

inhibit the effects of dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and

dopamine-stimulated MS activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid

methylation: Cu(2+) promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+),

Pb(2+), Hg(2+) and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing

preservative thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated

methylation with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings

outline a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and

thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The potent

inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum and thimerosal

suggests that it may be an important target of neurodevelopmental toxins.

PMID: 14745455 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6: Pediatr Rehabil. 2003 Apr-Jun;6(2):97-102.

An assessment of the impact of thimerosal on childhood neurodevelopmental

disorders.

Geier DA, Geier MR.

The Genetic Centers of America, 14 Redgate Court, Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA.

The prevalence of autism in the US has risen from 1 in approximately 2500 in the

mid-1980s to 1 in approximately 300 children in the mid-1990s. The purpose of

this study was to evaluate whether mercury from thimerosal in childhood vaccines

contributed to neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorder

dose-response curves for increasing mercury doses of thimerosal in childhood

vaccines were determined based upon examination of the Vaccine Adverse Events

Reporting System (VAERS) database and the 2001 US' Department of Education

Report. The instantaneous dosage of mercury children received in comparison to

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s maximum permissible dose for the oral

ingestion of methylmercury was also determined. The dose-response curves showed

increases in odds ratios of neurodevelopmental disorders from both the VAERS and

US Department of Education data closely linearly correlated with increasing

doses of mercury from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and that for

overall odds ratios statistical significance was achieved. Similar slopes and

linear regression coefficients for autism odds ratios in VAERS and the US

Department of Education data help to mutually validate each other. Controls

employed in the VAERS and US Department of Education data showed minimal biases.

The evidence presented here shows that the occurrence of neurodevelopmental

disorders following thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines does not appear to

be coincidental.

PMID: 14534046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7: Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2003 Mar;2(2):113-22.

A review of hepatitis B vaccination.

Geier MR, Geier DA, Zahalsky AC.

The Genetic Centers of America, 14 Redgate Ct, Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA.

mgeier@...

Hepatitis B is one of the most important infectious causes of acute and chronic

liver disease both in the US and worldwide. In order to combat the

life-threatening effects of hepatitis B infection, recombinant hepatitis B

vaccines have been developed. The medical and scientific communities have

generally accepted that recombinant hepatitis B vaccine - a highly purified,

genetically engineered, single antigen vaccine - is a safe vaccine. Information

is presented showing that hepatitis B vaccine contains yeast, aluminium,

thimerosal and hepatitis B surface antigen epitopes, which may result in

hepatitis B vaccine being associated with autoimmune diseases among susceptible

adult vaccine recipients. There is little doubt that the benefits of this

vaccine overall far outweigh its risks. Physicians and patients should evaluate

the risks and benefits of hepatitis B vaccination and, together, make an

informed consent decision as to whether to undergo vaccination. Individuals who

experience an adverse reaction to hepatitis B vaccination should report it to

the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database and be advised that they may

be eligible for compensation from the no-fault National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program, administered by the US Court of Claims. The authors

strongly urge that additional research be conducted into the molecular basis of

adverse events following hepatitis B vaccine administration, so that further

recommendations may be made on how to improve their safety profiles.

Publication Types:

Review

Review, Tutorial

PMID: 12904111 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

8: Australas J Dermatol. 2003 Aug;44(3):199-202.

Wells' syndrome following thiomersal-containing vaccinations.

Koh KJ, Warren L, L, C, GN.

Department of Dermatology, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide,

South Australia, Australia.

A 3 1/2-year-old boy presented on three occasions with painful, itchy,

oedematous plaques on his limbs. On two occasions he had received hepatitis B

vaccination 11-13 days previously, and on the third occasion received triple

antigen (DTP) vaccination 10 days earlier. Skin biopsy revealed a prominent

infiltrate of eosinophils involving the entire thickness of the dermis. In

addition there were prominent 'flame figures' consisting of eosinophilic

necrotic collagen surrounded by granular basophilic debris. The clinical and

histological pictures were consistent with Wells' syndrome. The eruption settled

on the second and third occasions with 0.1% mometasone furoate cream. Subsequent

patch testing showed 2+ reaction to preservative thiomersal at 96 hours. This is

the first description of Wells' syndrome with typical clinical and

histopathological features associated with thiomersal in two different vaccines.

Publication Types:

Case Reports

PMID: 12869046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

9: Toxicol Sci. 2003 Aug;74(2):361-8. Epub 2003 May 28.

Thimerosal induces DNA breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage, and cell

death in cultured human neurons and fibroblasts.

Baskin DS, Ngo H, Didenko VV.

Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, 6560 Fannin Suite 944,

Houston, Texas 77030, USA. dbaskin@...

Thimerosal is an organic mercurial compound used as a preservative in biomedical

preparations. Little is known about the reactions of human neuronal and skin

cells to its micro- and nanomolar concentrations, which can occur after using

thimerosal-containing products. A useful combination of fluorescent techniques

for the assessment of thimerosal toxicity is introduced. Short-term thimerosal

toxicity was investigated in cultured human cerebral cortical neurons and in

normal human fibroblasts. Cells were incubated with 125-nM to 250-microM

concentrations of thimerosal for 45 min to 24 h. A 4',

6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) dye exclusion test was used to

identify nonviable cells and terminal transferase-based nick-end labeling

(TUNEL) to label DNA damage. Detection of active caspase-3 was performed in live

cell cultures using a cell-permeable fluorescent caspase inhibitor. The

morphology of fluorescently labeled nuclei was analyzed. After 6 h of

incubation, the thimerosal toxicity was observed at 2 microM based on the manual

detection of the fluorescent attached cells and at a 1-microM level with the

more sensitive GENios Plus Multi-Detection Microplate Reader with Enhanced

Fluorescence. The lower limit did not change after 24 h of incubation. Cortical

neurons demonstrated higher sensitivity to thimerosal compared to fibroblasts.

The first sign of toxicity was an increase in membrane permeability to DAPI

after 2 h of incubation with 250 microM thimerosal. A 6-h incubation resulted in

failure to exclude DAPI, generation of DNA breaks, caspase-3 activation, and

development of morphological signs of apoptosis. We demonstrate that thimerosal

in micromolar concentrations rapidly induce membrane and DNA damage and initiate

caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human neurons and fibroblasts. We conclude that

a proposed combination of fluorescent techniques can be useful in analyzing the

toxicity of thimerosal.

PMID: 12773768 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

10: Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Jun;228(6):660-4.

Comment in:

Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Oct;228(9):991-2; discussion 993-4.

Neurodevelopmental disorders after thimerosal-containing vaccines: a brief

communication.

Geier MR, Geier DA.

The Genetic Centers of America, Silver Spring, land 20905, USA.

mgeier@...

We were initially highly skeptical that differences in the concentrations of

thimerosal in vaccines would have any effect on the incidence rate of

neurodevelopmental disorders after childhood immunization. This study presents

the first epidemiologic evidence, based upon tens of millions of doses of

vaccine administered in the United States, that associates increasing thimerosal

from vaccines with neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, an analysis of

the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database showed statistical

increases in the incidence rate of autism (relative risk [RR] = 6.0), mental

retardation (RR = 6.1), and speech disorders (RR = 2.2) after

thimerosal-containing diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP)

vaccines in comparison with thimerosal-free DTaP vaccines. The male/female ratio

indicated that autism (17) and speech disorders (2.3) were reported more in

males than females after thimerosal-containing DTaP vaccines, whereas mental

retardation (1.2) was more evenly reported among male and female vaccine

recipients. Controls were employed to determine if biases were present in the

data, but none were found. It was determined that overall adverse reactions were

reported in similar-aged populations after thimerosal-containing DTaP (2.4 +/-

3.2 years old) and thimerosal-free DTaP (2.1 +/- 2.8 years old) vaccinations.

Acute control adverse reactions such as deaths (RR = 1.0), vasculitis (RR =

1.2), seizures (RR = 1.6), ED visits (RR = 1.4), total adverse reactions (RR =

1.4), and gastroenteritis (RR = 1.1) were reported similarly after

thimerosal-containing and thimerosal-free DTaP vaccines. An association between

neurodevelopmental disorders and thimerosal-containing DTaP vaccines was found,

but additional studies should be conducted to confirm and extend this study.

PMID: 12773696 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

11: Lancet. 2003 Feb 22;361(9358):699; author reply 699.

Comment on:

Lancet. 2002 Nov 30;360(9347):1737-41.

Mercury in infants given vaccines containing thiomersal.

Westphal G, Hallier E.

Publication Types:

Comment

Letter

PMID: 12606190 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

12: Arch Toxicol. 2003 Jan;77(1):50-5. Epub 2002 Nov 6.

Thimerosal induces micronuclei in the cytochalasin B block micronucleus test

with human lymphocytes.

Westphal GA, Asgari S, Schulz TG, Bunger J, Muller M, Hallier E.

Department of Occupational Health, Georg-August-University Gottingen, Waldweg

37, 37073 Gottingen, Germany. gwestph@...

Thimerosal is a widely used preservative in health care products, especially in

vaccines. Due to possible adverse health effects, investigations on its

metabolism and toxicity are urgently needed. An in vivo study on chronic

toxicity of thimerosal in rats was inconclusive and reports on genotoxic effects

in various in vitro systems were contradictory. Therefore, we reinvestigated

thimerosal in the cytochalasin B block micronucleus test. Glutathione

S-transferases were proposed to be involved in the detoxification of thimerosal

or its decomposition products. Since the outcome of genotoxicity studies can be

dependent on the metabolic competence of the cells used, we were additionally

interested whether polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases (GSTM1, GSTT1, or

GSTP1) may influence the results of the micronucleus test with primary human

lymphocytes. Blood samples of six healthy donors of different glutathione

S-transferase genotypes were included in the study. At least two independent

experiments were performed for each blood donor. Significant induction of

micronuclei was seen at concentrations between 0.05-0.5 micro g/ml in 14 out of

16 experiments. Thus, genotoxic effects were seen even at concentrations which

can occur at the injection site. Toxicity and toxicity-related elevation of

micronuclei was seen at and above 0.6 micro g/ml thimerosal. Marked individual

and intraindividual variations in the in vitro response to thimerosal among the

different blood donors occurred. However, there was no association observed with

any of the glutathione S-transferase polymorphism investigated. In conclusion,

thimerosal is genotoxic in the cytochalasin B block micronucleus test with human

lymphocytes. These data raise some concern on the widespread use of thimerosal.

PMID: 12491041 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

13: Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2001 Jul;203(5-6):479-81.

Inhibition of the human erythrocytic glutathione-S-transferase T1 (GST T1) by

thimerosal.

Muller M, Westphal G, Vesper A, Bunger J, Hallier E.

Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, Georg-August-University

Gottingen, D-37073 Gottingen, Germany. mmuelle3@...

We have investigated the interaction of thimerosal, a widely used antiseptic and

preservative, with the human erythrocytic GST T1 (glutathione-S-transferase T1).

This detoxifying enzyme is expressed in the erythrocytes of solely the human

species and it displays a genetic polymorphism. Due to this polymorphism about

25% of the individuals of the caucasian population lack this activity

( " non-conjugators " ), while 75% show it ( " conjugators " ) (Hallier, E., et al.,

1993). Using our newly developed HPLC-fluorescence detection assay (Muller, M.,

et al., 2001) we have profiled the kinetics of enzyme inhibition in erythrocyte

lysates of two individuals previously identified as " normal conjugator " (medium

enzyme activity) and " super-conjugator " (very high activity). For the normal

conjugator we have determined a 2.77 mM thimerosal concentration to inhibit 50%

of the GST T1 activity. In the case of the super-conjugator a 2.3 mM thimerosal

concentration causes a 50% inhibition of the enzyme activity. For both

phenotypes a 14.8 mM thimerosal concentration results in residual enzyme

activities equal to those typically detected in non-conjugator lysates. Thus,

sufficiently high doses of thimerosal may be able to change the phenotypic

status of an individual--at least in vitro--by inhibition of the GST T1 enzyme.

PMID: 11556154 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

14: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2000 Aug;73(6):384-8.

Homozygous gene deletions of the glutathione S-transferases M1 and T1 are

associated with thimerosal sensitization.

Westphal GA, Schnuch A, Schulz TG, Reich K, Aberer W, Brasch J, Koch P,

Wessbecher R, Szliska C, Bauer A, Hallier E.

Abteilung fur Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen,

Germany. gwestph@...

OBJECTIVE: Thimerosal is an important preservative in vaccines and

ophthalmologic preparations. The substance is known to be a type IV sensitizing

agent. High sensitization rates were observed in contact-allergic patients and

in health care workers who had been exposed to thimerosal-preserved vaccines.

There is evidence for the involvement of the glutathione system in the

metabolism of thimerosal or its decomposition products (organomercury alkyl

compounds). Thus detoxification by polymorphically expressed glutathione

S-transferases such as GSTT1 and GSTM1 might have a protective effect against

sensitization by these substances. METHODS: To address this question, a case

control study was conducted, including 91 Central European individuals with a

positive patch-test reaction to thimerosal. This population was compared with

169 healthy controls and additionally with 114 individuals affected by an

allergy against para-substituted aryl compounds. The latter population was

included in order to test whether possible associations were due to

substance-specific effects, or were a general feature connected with type IV

immunological diseases. Homozygous deletions of GSTT1 and GSTM1 were determined

by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Glutathione S-transferase M1 deficiency

was significantly more frequent among patients sensitized to thimerosal (65.9%,

P = 0.013) compared with the healthy control group (49.1%) and the

" para-compound " group (48%, P = 0.034). Glutathione S-transferase T1 deficiency

in the thimerosal/mercury group (19.8%) was barely elevated versus healthy

controls (16.0%) and the " para-compound " group (14.0%). The combined deletion

(GSTT1-/GSTM1-) was markedly more frequent among thimerosal-sensitized patients

than in healthy controls (17.6% vs. 6.5%, P = 0.0093) and in the " para-compound "

group (17.6% vs. 6.1%, P =0.014), revealing a synergistic effect of these enzyme

deficiencies (healthy controls vs. thimerosal GSTM1 negative individuals, OR =

2.0 [CI = 1.2-3.4], GSTT1-, OR = 1.2 [CI = 0.70-2.1], GSTM1/T1-, OR = 3.1 [CI =

1.4-6.5]). CONCLUSIONS: Since the glutathione-dependent system was repeatedly

shown to be involved in the metabolism of thimerosal decomposition products, the

observed association may be of functional relevance.

PMID: 11007341 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

March 17, 2005

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