Is their a link between autism and lyme disease? No.

Some patients have asked about a link between autism and lyme disease. There does not appear to be a significant link. - JR

Autism-Lyme 

Correlation Debunked

Researchers find zero evidence for Lyme-induced autism.

WIKIMEDIA, SCOTT BAUER, USDA

The hypothesized link between autism and Lyme disease loses ground with a new study that found no evidence of an infection in patients with the social development disorder. The results, published today (April 30) in the Journal of the American Medical Association, imply that antibiotics against the Lyme disease pathogen—a popular new strategy for autism—will not ameliorate most patients’ symptoms.

“The data don’t address whether a single case of autism was ever caused by Lyme disease, but it rules out the suggestion that it does so with any frequency,” said Armin Alaedini, an immunologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York and an author on the study. “I think that for me, this is the end of looking into the link between autism and Lyme.”  

In recent years, some doctors have anecdotally noted that many of their autism patients have Lyme disease. Two small studies listed in a booklet from a 2007 meeting of the Lyme-Induced Autism Foundation, a Corona, California-based organization that advocates an “eclectic healing approach,” reported that 1 in 5 autistic patients had the tick-borne disease. Websites on the topic now put that number closer to 9 out of 10. These statistics, however, have not been peer-reviewed. Nonetheless, some doctors prescribe antibiotics to autistic children and say the therapy quells their symptoms.

To systematically assess the prevalence of Lyme disease among people with autism, Armin Alaedini, an immunologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and his colleagues analyzed blood samples from 120 children and teens: 70 participants had autism, and 50 served as healthy controls. Alaedini looked for antibodies against the bacterium underlying Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, and found that not a single participant tested positive for the infection.

“This means that you wouldn’t see 20 percent of children with autism getting their disease from Lyme,” Alaedini said. He entered into the study objectively, he said, wanting to explore a correlation that had gained traction among doctors and the public. “Autism has become a hot topic, and a lot of people are publishing findings that are bogus but still alarm parents.”

M. Ajamian et al., “Serologic markers of Lyme disease in children with autism,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 309: 1771-72, 2013.

Link to article here

Autism Risk Higher Near Pesticide-Treated Fields

Another interesting epidemiological study about the link between pesticide exposure in pregnancy and developmental delays - not just autism. -JR

Autism Risk Higher Near Pesticide-Treated Fields

Babies whose moms lived within a mile of crops treated with widely used pesticides were more likely to develop autism, according to new research 

Jun 23, 2014 |By Lindsey Konkel and Environmental Health News 

|

....Babies whose moms lived within a mile of crops treated with widely used pesticides were more likely to develop autism, according to new research. 

The study of 970 children, born in farm-rich areas of Northern California, is part of the largest project to date that is exploring links between autism and environmental exposures.

The University of California, Davis research – which used women’s addresses to determine their proximity to insecticide-treated fields – is the third project to link prenatal pesticide exposures to autism and related disorders.

“The weight of evidence is beginning to suggest that mothers’ exposures during pregnancy may play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorders,” said Kim Harley, an environmental health researcher at the University of California, Berkeley who was not involved in the new study.

 

When women in the second trimester lived near fields treated with chlorpyrifos – the most commonly applied organophosphate pesticide – their children were 3.3 times more likely to have autism, according to the study. 
Credit: Wonderlane via Flickr

One in every 68 U.S. children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder—a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties with social interactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This study does not show that pesticides are likely to cause autism, though it suggests that exposure to farming chemicals during pregnancy is probably not a good thing,” said Dr. Bennett Leventhal, a child psychiatrist at University of California, San Francisco who studies autistic children. He did not participate in the new study.....

The biggest known contributor to autism risk is having a family member with it. Siblings of a child with autism are 35 times more likely to develop it than those without an autistic brother or sister, according to the National Institutes of Health.

By comparison, in the new study, children with mothers who lived less than one mile from fields treated with organophosphate pesticides during pregnancy were about 60 percent more likely to have autism than children whose mothers did not live close to treated fields. Most of the women lived in the Sacramento Valley.

The study also reported an increased risk of developmental delays, but not autism, in kids whose moms lived near fields where carbamates, including methomyl and Sevin, were applied.

The researchers said that pesticides could impair brain development and signaling in a way that affects social interactions, learning and behavior.

Previous studies have also linked pesticide use in California to autism spectrum disorders.

In 2007, Harley and her colleagues found a two-fold increase in pervasive developmental disorders (the larger group to which autism belongs) among 531 children in California’s Salinas Valley whose mothers’ urine had higher levels of organophosphate pesticides.

Another study from 2007 found that mothers who lived near fields with the highest applications of two now-banned pesticides – endosulfan and dicofol – were six times more likely to have kids with autism spectrum disorders.

Neurobehavioral effects of developmental toxicity - What's in your garden?

Lancet Neurol. 2014 Mar;13(3):330-8. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3. Epub 2014 Feb 17.

Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity.

Grandjean P1, Landrigan PJ2.

Author information

Industrial chemicals known to be toxic to the human nervous system in 2006 and 2013, according to chemical group  

	Number known in 2006	Number known in 2013	Identified since 2006
Metals and inorganic compounds	25	26	Hydrogen phosphide82
Organic solvents	39*	40	Ethyl chloride83
Pesticides	92	101	Acetamiprid,84 amitraz,85 avermectin,86 emamectin,87 fipronil (Termidor),88 glyphosate,89 hexaconazole,90 imidacloprid,91tetramethylenedisulfotetramine92
Other organic compounds	46	47	1,3-butadiene93
Total	202*	214	12 new substances

Industrial chemicals known to cause developmental neurotoxicity in human beings in 2006 and 2013, according to chemical group

	Known in 2006	Newly identified
Metals and inorganic compounds	Arsenic and arsenic compounds, lead, and methylmercury	Fluoride and manganese
Organic solvents	(Ethanol) toluene	Tetrachloroethylene
Pesticides	None	Chlorpyrifos and DDT/DDE
Other organic compounds	Polychlorinated biphenyls	Brominated diphenyl ethers
Total	6*	6

DDT=dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. DDE=dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene.

*

Including ethanol.

Panel. 

Recommendations for an international clearinghouse on neurotoxicity

The main purpose of this agency would be to promote optimum brain health, not just avoidance of neurological disease, by inspiring, facilitating, and coordinating research and public policies that aim to protect brain development during the most sensitive life stages. The main efforts would aim to:

•

Screen industrial chemicals present in human exposures for neurotoxic effects so that hazardous substances can be identified for tighter control

•

Stimulate and coordinate new research to understand how toxic chemicals interfere with brain development and how best to prevent long-term dysfunctions and deficits

•

Function as a clearinghouse for research data and strategies by gathering and assessing documentation about brain toxicity and stimulating international collaboration on research and prevention

•

Promote policy development aimed at protecting vulnerable populations against chemicals that are toxic to the brain without needing unrealistic amounts of scientific proof

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other cognitive impairments, affect millions of children worldwide, and some diagnoses seem to be increasing in frequency. Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain are among the known causes for this rise in prevalence. In 2006, we did a systematic review and identified five industrial chemicals as developmental neurotoxicants: lead, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, and toluene. Since 2006, epidemiological studies have documented six additional developmental neurotoxicants-manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers. We postulate that even more neurotoxicants remain undiscovered. To control the pandemic of developmental neurotoxicity, we propose a global prevention strategy. Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity. To coordinate these efforts and to accelerate translation of science into prevention, we propose the urgent formation of a new international clearinghouse.

Association Between SSRI Use During Pregnancy and Autism and Developmental Delays in Boys

Interesting. High powered study. Association is not necessarily causation - JR

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Researchers Find Association Between SSRI Use During Pregnancy and Autism and Developmental Delays in Boys

HIGHEST ASSOCIATION FOUND DURING FIRST TRIMESTER EXPOSURE FOR AUTISM AND THIRD TRIMESTER EXPOSURE FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

In a study of nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs, researchers from the Bloomberg School of Public health found that prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a frequently prescribed treatment for depression, anxiety and other disorders, was associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delays (DD) in boys. The study, published in the online edition of Pediatrics, analyzed data from large samples of ASD and DD cases, and population-based controls, where a uniform protocol was implemented to confirm ASD and DD diagnoses by trained clinicians using validated standardized instruments.

The study included 966 mother-child pairs from the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study, a population-based case-control study based at the University of California at Davis’ MIND Institute. The researchers broke the data into three groups: Those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), those with developmental delays (DD) and those with typical development (TD). The children ranged in ages two to five. A majority of the children were boys – 82.5% in the ASD group were boys, 65.6% in the DD group were boys and 85.6% in the TD were boys. " While the study included girls, the substantially stronger effect in boys alone suggests possible gender difference in the effect of prenatal SSRI exposure.

“We found prenatal SSRI exposure was nearly 3 times as likely in boys with ASD relative to typical development, with the greatest risk when exposure took place during the first trimester,” said Li-Ching Lee, Ph.D., Sc.M., psychiatric epidemiologist in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology. “SSRI was also elevated among boys with DD, with the strongest exposure effect in the third trimester.”

...

Serotonin is critical to early brain development; exposure during pregnancy to anything that influences serotonin levels can have potential effect on birth and developmental outcomes. The prevalence of ASD continues to rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 in 68 children in the U.S. is identified with ASD, and it is almost five times more common among boys than girls.  One may question whether the increased use of SSRI in recent years is a contributor to the dramatic rise of ASD prevalence.

"This study provides further evidence that in some children, prenatal exposure to SSRIs may influence their risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder,” said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D., M.P.H., chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and a researcher at the UC Davis MIND Institute.  “This research also highlights the challenge for women and their physicians to balance the risks versus the benefits of taking these medications, given that a mother’s underlying mental-health conditions also may pose a risk, both to herself and her child.”

Regarding treatment, the authors note that maternal depression itself carries risks for the fetus, and the benefits of using SSRI during pregnancy should be considered carefully against the potential harm. The researchers also note that large sample studies are needed to investigate the effects in girls with ASD. Limitations of the study acknowledged include the difficulty in isolating SSRI effects from those of their indications for use, lack of information on SSRI dosage precluded dose-response analyses, and the relatively small sample of DD children resulted in imprecise estimates of association, which should be viewed with caution.

“Prenatal SSRI Use and Offspring With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Delay” was written by Rebecca A. Harrington, PhD, MPH; Li-Ching Lee, PhD, ScM; Rosa M. Crum, MD, MHS; Andrew W. Zimmerman, MD; and Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH.

Data collection of this research was supported by U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS (#P01-ES11269 and #R01-ES015359), UC Davis MIND Institute and Autism Speaks.

# # #

Media contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Susan Sperry at 410-955-6919 orssperry1@jhu.edu.

Enzymes may be why autism develops

A study from the NIH shows that a group of enzymes may be the cause that autism develops.

A group of enzymes in the brain appears to be key to the activity of many genes linked to autism, a new study reveals.

Experts hope the findings will shed light on the causes of autism, and possibly lead to new treatments.

The study results, published online Aug. 28 in the journal Nature, hint that if disruptions in enzymes called topoisomerases occur during brain development, they might contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders.

The enzymes are found throughout the body, and their main job is to "untangle the knots" in cells' DNA so the cells can function and reproduce themselves normally, explained senior researcher Mark Zylka, an associate professor of cell biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Topoisomerases have been well studied for their role in helping tumor cells to spread, and drugs that inhibit the enzymes are already used to treat certain cancers.

There have also been hints, though, that topoisomerases might contribute to autism. Last year, researchers reported that some people with autism spectrum disorders have mutations in these enzymes.

"But we've known little about how they work in the brain," said Zylka.

In lab experiments with mouse and human brain cells, Zylka's team found that a topoisomerase-inhibiting drug reduced the activity of 49 genes that past studies have linked to autism. That points to the importance of topoisomerases in the normal expression of those genes.

"A single drug down-regulated all of those genes," Zylka said.

That does not mean, however, that topoisomerase inhibitors should be tested for treating autism. If anything, Zylka explained, you would want a drug that enhances the enzymes' actions.

But now researchers can look for compounds that do just that.

What's more, the findings point to a biological process that ties together dozens of different genes that are suspected of being involved in autism. "Well over 300 (autism-linked) genes have been identified now," Zylka said. "That list looks daunting, but the goal is to figure out how all these genes are connected," he said.

"It can be overwhelming when you look at the list of genes," agreed Andy Shih, senior vice president for scientific affairs for the advocacy group Autism Speaks.

But if you can zero in on the "biological pathways" linking those genes, "it all starts to make sense," said Shih, who was not involved in the study.

In the United States, it's estimated that at least one in every 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder, with the severity ranging widely from child to child. Some kids have little or no ability to speak, and focus obsessively on just a few interests; other kids speak and have normal to above-normal intelligence, but may have problems socializing and communicating more subtly -- for example, trouble using and "reading" gestures, body language and facial expressions.

No one knows what causes autism spectrum disorders, but experts believe that it's a complex mix of genetic vulnerability and environmental exposures -- possibly chemicals or microbes.

Shih pointed to an "interesting" fact about topoisomerases: Their activity is believed to be influenced by environment, including compounds in food and in the physical world. So, he said, studying the enzymes might help researchers pinpoint some of the environmental factors that contribute to autism spectrum disorders.

"We've been talking for a long time about the interaction between genes and environment in autism," Shih said. Topoisomerases could offer a way for scientists to begin to connect the dots.

Zylka agreed, and said his team is searching for environmental compounds that inhibit topoisomerases -- and may, therefore, be important for pregnant women or young children to avoid.

There is still, however, a long way to go in fully understanding the underpinnings of autism spectrum disorders. "We've just scratched the surface of what's going wrong in the brain" in autism, Zylka said.

Read more here

Study: Autism affects men and women's brains differently

A study claims that autism affects different parts of the brain in men and women showing the diversity within the autism diagnosis.

Autism affects different parts of the brain in females with autism than males with autism, a new study reveals. The research is published today in the journal Brain as an open-access article.

Scientists at the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge used magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether autism affects the brain of males and females in a similar or different way. They found that the anatomy of the brain of someone with autism substantially depends on whether an individual is male or female, with brain areas that were atypical in adult females with autism being similar to areas that differ between typically developing males and females. This was not seen in men with autism.

"One of our new findings is that females with autism show neuroanatomical 'masculinization'," said Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, senior author of the paper. "This may implicate physiological mechanisms that drive sexual dimorphism, such as prenatal sex hormones and sex-linked genetic mechanisms."

Autism affects 1% of the general population and is more prevalent in males. Most studies have therefore focused on male-dominant samples. As a result, our understanding of the neurobiology of autism is male-biased.

"This is one of the largest brain imaging studies of sex/gender differences yet conducted in autism. Females with autism have long been under-recognized and probably misunderstood," said Dr Meng-Chuan Lai, who led the research project. "The findings suggest that we should not blindly assume that everything found in males with autism applies to females. This is an important example of the diversity within the 'spectrum'."

Dr Michael Lombardo, who co-led the study, added that although autism manifests itself in many different ways, grouping by gender may help provide a better understanding of this condition.

He said: "Autism as a whole is complex and vastly diverse, or heterogeneous, and this new study indicates that there are ways to subgroup the autism spectrum, such as whether an individual is male or female. Reducing heterogeneity via subgrouping will allow research to make significant progress towards understanding the mechanisms that cause autism."

Read more here

Combination of brain-attacking antibodies signals autism

Researchers at the University of California Davis found that mothers who have a certain combination of brain-attacking antibodies have a 99% chance of giving birth to a child with autism.

A significant portion of autism cases can be identified with nearly perfect accuracy before symptoms appear, possibly even before conception, according to research published Tuesday.

It found that 23 percent of children with autism spectrum disordershave mothers with a certain combination of antibodies in their blood. Mothers who have this combination are 99 percent likely to have autistic children, according to researchers at the University of California Davis.

A study led by Judy Van de Water of UC Davis finds that 23 percent of those with autism spectrum disorders have mothers with a specific combination of autoantibodies that attack seven proteins involved in fetal brain development.

Experts not involved with the work said it could represent a major advance if validated. The studies don’t deal with the great majority of other cases of the disorder; in which a variety of factors appear to be involved.Two studies based on the research were published in the open access journal Translational Psychiatry. One study, led by UC Davis researcher Judy Van de Water, is here. The second, led by her UC Davis colleague Melissa Bauman, is here. Open access means the complete studies are free to readers.

San Diego-based Pediatric Bioscience is developing a test for the autism-linked antibodies, said Jan D’Alvise, chief executive of the privately held company. The test is expected to be commercially available in late 2014.

The studies found that seven proteins active in fetal brains were targeted by the maternal antibodies, said Van de Water, an immunologist at UC Davis School of Medicine, who took part in both studies. Van de Water is also the chief scientific adviser to Pediatric Bioscience. Some maternal antibodies normally cross over through the placenta, guarding the developing baby against infection.

The main study, led by Van de Water, examined the maternal antibodies’ effects on the seven fetal brain proteins and correlated them with an autism or autism spectrum diagnosis in 246 children. Maternal antibodies were also examined in a control group of 149 normally developing children.

The study found certain combinations of antibodies that were found in 23 percent of mothers of autism spectrum disorder children, but in less than 1 percent of a control group of mothers who did not have ASD children.

The second study, led by colleague Melissa Bauman, examined the autism-linked antibodies’ effects in young rhesus monkeys. It found significant disruptions in the social behavior of these monkeys; monkeys not exposed to the antibodies did not experience the disruptions.

Pediatric Bioscience is developing the antibody test for two uses, D’Alvise said.

“One is a simple blood test that will tell women their risk of having an autistic child before they conceive,” D’Alvise said.

Prospective mothers who test positive could avoid the risk by using a surrogate mother who tests negative to carry the baby, she said.

Secondly, the test can also be taken by new mothers to assess autism risk in their infants, so those at risk can be treated promptly.

“It’s very hard to diagnose these kids early, and they benefit from interventional therapy, if you catch them early,” D’Alvise said.

About 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the mild end, those with Asperger’s syndrome experience significant difficulties in social interaction. At the severe end, classic autism includes delay in language development, repetitive behavior and intense fascination with certain objects or patterns.

While more work is needed before a test can be approved, Van de Water said the study results were solid, and she is confident in their accuracy. Further down the road, a preventive therapy might be possible, she said. Such a therapy would block the antibodies in the pregnant mothers, allowing normal development of the baby.

Maternal immune response dysfunction

The study represents “a great advance forward to explaining a substantial sub-set of cases of ASD,” said Cheryl Dissanayake, director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at La Trobe University, near Melbourne, Australia.

Dissanayake said by email that she had been aware of the research, and considers the rhesus monkey study to give more validity to Van de Water’s work.

“My own interest in dysregulated growth (both physical and brain growth) in a subset of cases is also modeled in the rhesus monkeys,” Dissanayake said. “These really are significant findings, although as always, more research is needed. I couldn’t recommend this work strongly enough.”

Eric Courchesne, a UCSD researcher studying the neurobiology of autism, was cautious in evaluating the results. He said the study covers an important area of research, identifying molecular markers in those with autism.

"The study suggests an important future study: Do mothers who already have an ASD child and these markers, have an increased risk of having another child with ASD?" Courchesne asked.

Elizabeth A. Thomas, a neuroscientist at The Scripps Research Institute, said the study results could be useful in assessing autism risk.

“These findings could have enormous potential to serve as a biomarker for disease risk in children, however, whether such a diagnostic test would have predictive value in assessing a woman’s risk of having a child with autism prior to conception, is less clear,” Thomas said. “This is because the samples were obtained from mothers of children at the time of the child’s diagnosis, not before pregnancy.”

The results make sense in light of what is already known about autism, Thomas said.

“Although autism spectrum disorders are highly heterogeneous, there is substantial evidence for maternal immune dysregulation during pregnancy and increased risk for autism, as well as other neuropsychiatric disorders, in offspring,” Thomas said. “However, exactly how maternal immune dysregulation is related to altered brain development and subsequent behavioral abnormalities is not clear.”

Identifying the seven target proteins represents “a critical advancement in the field,” Thomas said. “Because autism is known to have a strong genetic contribution, it would be important to see if any of these target proteins converge with the autism-associated genetic data that has been published in recent years.”

“Because several of the target proteins identified in this study are known to play important roles in neurodevelopment, it would be of interest to see if any of these maternal autoantibodies are associated with increased risk for other neuropsychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders."

Monkey parallel

The studies builds on previous research by Van De Water and colleagues that found women with certain antibodies were at greater risk of having a child with autism than woman without the antibodies.

The study led by UC Davis researcher Bauman found a parallel in rhesus monkeys exposed to the autism-linked antibodies. These well-studied monkeys have their own complex social system, and the researchers looked for signs of disruption.

That study included three groups, one exposed to the maternal autism-linked antibodies, a second exposed to antibodies from human mothers whose children did not have autism, and a third group that did not receive any antibodies. Thus, the study had three groups, one test and two control.

Monkey offspring exposed to the autism-linked antibodies showed abnormal social behavior not displayed by the control offspring, the study said. This behavior included approaching unfamiliar monkeys, unusual for young rhesus monkeys.

Read more here

Study: Gut Bacteria Levels Lower in Children with Autism

A study claims that children with autism have lower levels of bacteria in the gut which makes them more susceptible to harmful bacteria.

A link may exist between autism and bacteria in a child's digestive tract, a small new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed gut bacteria in fecal samples from 20 children with autism and 20 children without the disorder. The children with autism had significantly fewer types of gut bacteria, which potentially could make them more vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

The study also found that children with autism had significantly lower amounts of three types of important gut bacteria.

Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that can range from mild to severe, affects social and communication skills.

The new study appears July 3 in the journal PLoS One.

"One of the reasons we started addressing this topic is the fact that autistic children have a lot of [gastrointestinal] problems that can last into adulthood," study leader Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, said in a university news release. "Studies have shown that when we manage these problems, their behavior improves dramatically."

This type of research could lead to new ways to treat autism-associated gastrointestinal problems, and improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of autism, the study authors said.

Previous research has shown that gut bacteria plays a role in a wide range of important functions, including digestion, controlling body weight, immune response regulation and the production of neurotransmitters that affect the brain and behavior.

Although this study showed a potential link between gut bacteria and autism, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Read more here