re: Researchers: New understanding of autism is near

[Guest guest]

My letter to the reporter. Other folks might write her, help her

understand that an oversimplification to " genetic vs thimerosal " is

misleading. I sent live links to the reporter but disable them herein.

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Dear Ms. Ricks,

Your article is appreciated. However, ought we notice that the

spokespersons who provided information are heavily invested in a Must Be

Genetic model. Your article failed to mention peer-reviewed findings

that describe associations between autism and various environmental

pollutants. The dichotomy " genetic vs thimerosal " is misleading. Other

environmental factors merit attention (see the cites herein). Perhaps

your editors will allow you to prepare an article about environmental

factors related to autism.

Binstock

P.O. Box 1788

Estes Park CO 80517

Researchers: New understanding of autism is near

BY DELTHIA RICKS

August 14, 2007

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsauti125331613aug14,0,1913106.story

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1: Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Sep;114(9):1438-44.

Autism spectrum disorders in relation to distribution of hazardous

air pollutants in the san francisco bay area.

Windham GC, Zhang L, Gunier R, Croen LA, Grether JK.

Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control,

California Department of Health Services, Richmond, California, USA.

gwindham@...

OBJECTIVE: To explore possible associations between autism spectrum

disorders (ASD) and environmental exposures, we linked the California

autism surveillance system to estimated hazardous air pollutant (HAP)

concentrations compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

METHODS: Subjects included 284 children with ASD and 657 controls, born

in 1994 in the San Francisco Bay area. We assigned exposure level by

census tract of birth residence for 19 chemicals we identified as

potential neurotoxicants, developmental toxicants, and/or endocrine

disruptors from the 1996 HAPs database. Because concentrations of many

of these were highly correlated, we combined the chemicals into

mechanistic and structural groups, calculating summary index scores. We

calculated ASD risk in the upper quartiles of these group scores or

individual chemical concentrations compared with below the median,

adjusting for demographic factors. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratios

(AORs) were elevated by 50% in the top quartile of chlorinated solvents

and heavy metals [95% confidence intervals (CIs) , 1.1-2.1], but not for

aromatic solvents. Adjusting for these three groups simultaneously led

to decreased risks for the solvents and increased risk for metals (AORs

for metals: fourth quartile = 1.7 ; 95% CI, 1.0-3.0 ; third quartile =

1.95 ; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1) . The individual compounds that contributed most

to these associations included mercury, cadmium, nickel,

trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest

a potential association between autism and estimated metal

concentrations, and possibly solvents, in ambient air around the birth

residence, requiring confirmation and more refined exposure assessment

in future studies.

Publication Types:

* Comparative Study

PMID: 16966102 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

2: Health Place. 2006 Jun;12(2):203-9.

Environmental mercury release, special education rates, and autism

disorder: an ecological study of Texas.

Palmer RF, Blanchard S, Stein Z, Mandell D, C.

University of Texas Health Science Center, San Department of

Family and Community Medicine, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San , Texas

78229-3900, USA. palmer@...

The association between environmentally released mercury, special

education and autism rates in Texas was investigated using data from the

Texas Education Department and the United States Environmental

Protection Agency. A Poisson regression analysis adjusted for school

district population size, economic and demographic factors was used.

There was a significant increase in the rates of special education

students and autism rates associated with increases in environmentally

released mercury. On average, for each 1,000 lb of environmentally

released mercury, there was a 43% increase in the rate of special

education services and a 61% increase in the rate of autism. The

association between environmentally released mercury and special

education rates were fully mediated by increased autism rates. This

ecological study suggests the need for further research regarding the

association between environmentally released mercury and developmental

disorders such as autism. These results have implications for policy

planning and cost analysis.

PMID: 16338635 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

3: Mol Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;10(11):1006-16.

Paraoxonase gene variants are associated with autism in North

America, but not in Italy: possible regional specificity in

gene-environment interactions.

D'Amelio M, Ricci I, Sacco R, Liu X, D'Agruma L, Muscarella LA,

Guarnieri V, Militerni R, Bravaccio C, Elia M, Schneider C, Melmed R,

Trillo S, Pascucci T, Puglisi-Allegra S, Reichelt KL, Macciardi F,

Holden JJ, Persico AM.

Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University

Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.

Organophosphates (OPs) are routinely used as pesticides in

agriculture and as insecticides within the household. Our prior work on

Reelin and APOE delineated a gene-environment interactive model of

autism pathogenesis, whereby genetically vulnerable individuals

prenatally exposed to OPs during critical periods in neurodevelopment

could undergo altered neuronal migration, resulting in an autistic

syndrome. Since household use of OPs is far greater in the USA than in

Italy, this model was predicted to hold validity in North America, but

not in Europe. Here, we indirectly test this hypothesis by assessing

linkage/association between autism and variants of the paraoxonase gene

(PON1) encoding paraoxonase, the enzyme responsible for OP

detoxification. Three functional single nucleotide polymorphisms, PON1

C-108T, L55M, and Q192R, were assessed in 177 Italian and 107

Caucasian-American complete trios with primary autistic probands. As

predicted, Caucasian-American and not Italian families display a

significant association between autism and PON1 variants less active in

vitro on the OP diazinon (R192), according to case-control contrasts

(Q192R: chi2=6.33, 1 df, P<0.025), transmission/disequilibrium tests

(Q192R: TDT chi2=5.26, 1 df, P<0.025), family-based association tests

(Q192R and L55M: FBAT Z=2.291 and 2.435 respectively, P<0.025), and

haplotype-based association tests (L55/R192: HBAT Z=2.430, P<0.025).

These results are consistent with our model and provide further support

for the hypothesis that concurrent genetic vulnerability and

environmental OP exposure may possibly contribute to autism pathogenesis

in a sizable subgroup of North American individuals.

Publication Types:

* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 16027737 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4: Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Aug;23(4):303-8.

Treatment of autism spectrum children with thiamine

tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide: a pilot study.

Lonsdale D, Shamberger RJ, Audhya T.

Preventive Medicine Group, 24700 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, OH

44145, USA. dlonsdale@...

OBJECTIVES: In a Pilot Study, the clinical and biochemical effects

of thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD) on autistic spectrum

children were investigated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ten children were

studied. Diagnosis was confirmed through the use of form E2, a computer

assessed symptom score. For practical reasons, TTFD was administered

twice daily for two months in the form of rectal suppositories, each

containing 50 mg of TTFD. Symptomatic responses were determined through

the use of the computer assessed Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist

(ATEC) forms. The erythrocyte transketolase (TKA) and thiamine

pyrophosphate effect (TPPE), were measured at outset and on completion

of the study to document intracellular thiamine deficiency. Urines from

patients were examined at outset, after 30 days and after 60 days of

treatment and the concentrations of SH-reactive metals, total protein,

sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and thiocyanate were determined. The

concentrations of metals in hair were also determined. RESULTS: At the

beginning of the study thiamine deficiency was observed in 3 out of the

10 patients. Out of 10 patients, 6 had initial urine samples containing

arsenic in greater concentration than healthy controls. Traces of

mercury were seen in urines from all of these autistic children.

Following administration of TTFD an increase in cadmium was seen in 2

children and in lead in one child. Nickel was increased in the urine of

one patient during treatment. Sulfur metabolites in urine did not differ

from those measured in healthy children. CONCLUSIONS: Thiamine

tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide appears to have a beneficial clinical

effect on some autistic children, since 8 of the 10 children improved

clinically. We obtained evidence of an association of this increasingly

occurring disease with presence of urinary SH-reactive metals, arsenic

in particular.

Publication Types:

* Clinical Trial

* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 12195231