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Query: UMLS:C0004352 (autism)
 32,579 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Few studies have compared gastrointestinal problems in children with an autism spectrum disorder with and without a history of language regression. A cross-sectional study was conducted with structured interviews in 100 children with autism spectrum disorder, using a gastrointestinal questionnaire and a familial autoimmune questionnaire. By parental report, children with language regression more frequently exhibited an abnormal stool pattern (40% vs 12%, P = 0.006) and had an increased family history of celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (24% vs 0%, P = 0.001) and of rheumatoid arthritis (30% vs 11%, P = 0.03). Among 35 children with a family history of autoimmune disease, an abnormal stool pattern was reported more frequently in those with language regression (78% vs 15%, P = 0.001) than in those without. An association was observed between children with language regression, a family history of autoimmune disease, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Additional studies are needed to examine a possible shared autoimmune process.
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PMID:Gastrointestinal symptoms in children with an autism spectrum disorder and language regression. 1902 84

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common and complex neurodevelopmental conditions. Diagnostic criteria for these conditions have traditionally relied solely on behavioral criteria without consideration for potential biomedical underpinnings. Newer evidence, however, reveals that ASDs are associated with: oxidative stress; decreased methylation capacity; limited production of glutathione; mitochondrial dysfunction; intestinal dysbiosis; increased toxic metal burden; immune dysregulation, characterized by a unique inflammatory bowel disease and immune activation of neuroglial cells; and ongoing brain hypoperfusion. Many of these same problems are common features in children with ADHD. These medical conditions, whether co-morbidities or etiopathogenic, would be expected to have synergistically negative effects on the development, cognition, focus, and attention of affected children. It is likely these biological abnormalities contribute significantly to the behavioral symptoms intrinsic in these diagnoses. However, treatment for these underlying medical disorders is clinically justified, even if no clear immediate behavioral improvements are observed. This article reviews the medical literature and discusses the authors clinical experience using various biomarkers for measuring oxidative stress, methylation capacity and transsulfuration, immune function, gastrointestinal problems, and toxic metal burden. These biomarkers provide useful guides for selection, efficacy, and sufficiency of biomedical interventions. The use of these biomarkers is of great importance in young children with ADHD or individuals of any age with ASD, because typically they cannot adequately communicate regarding their symptoms.
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PMID:Biomarker-guided interventions of clinically relevant conditions associated with autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 2115 21

There is an urgent need to develop better therapeutics for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, of which musculoskeletal disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis are particularly prevalent and debilitating. Helminth parasites are accomplished masters at modifying their hosts' immune activity, and so attention has focused on rodent-helminth model systems to uncover the workings of the mammalian immune response to metazoan parasites, with the hope of revealing molecules and/or mechanisms that can be translated into better treatments for human autoimmune and idiopathic disorders. Substantial proof-of-principal data supporting the concept that infection with helminth parasites can reduce the severity of concomitant disease has been amassed from models of mucosal inflammation. Indeed, infection with helminth parasites has been tried as a therapy in inflammatory bowel disease, and there are case reports relating to other conditions (e.g., autism); however, the impact of infection with parasitic helminths on musculoskeletal diseases has not been extensively studied. Here, we present the view that such a strategy should be applied to the amelioration of joint inflammation and review the literature that supports this contention.
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PMID:Helminth parasites and the modulation of joint inflammation. 2158 43

Vaccines have been administered to millions of individuals, usually infants and children, with few serious adverse effects. In 1998 a report suggested that there may be a link between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and the development of behavioral abnormalities (i.e., autism) and inflammatory bowel disease in children. This report generated considerable media and political attention, which many feared would result in a decreased willingness of parents to immunize their children against these contagious diseases. Over the past decade, an increasing number of healthcare practitioners have been credentialed to administer vaccinations. Therefore, it is imperative for all medical professionals to understand the controversy surrounding this issue and to be able to appropriately educate and advise parents accordingly. This review article evaluated the primary and secondary literature pertaining to this topic and concluded that the available epidemiological and scientific evidence does not support a causal association between the MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease.
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PMID:Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and the development of autism or inflammatory bowel disease: the controversy should end. 2311 78

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are often associated with mucosal inflammatory infiltrates of the small and large intestine. Although distinct histologic and immunohistochemical properties of this inflammatory infiltrate have been previously described in this ASD(GI) group, molecular characterization of these lesions has not been reported. In this study we utilize transcriptome profiling of gastrointestinal mucosal biopsy tissue from ASD(GI) children and three non-ASD control groups (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and histologically normal) in an effort to determine if there is a gene expression profile unique to the ASD(GI) group. Comparison of differentially expressed transcripts between the groups demonstrated that non-pathologic (normal) tissue segregated almost completely from inflamed tissue in all cases. Gene expression profiles in intestinal biopsy tissue from patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and ASD(GI), while having significant overlap with each other, also showed distinctive features for each group. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ASD(GI) children have a gastrointestinal mucosal molecular profile that overlaps significantly with known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet has distinctive features that further supports the presence of an ASD-associated IBD variant, or, alternatively, a prodromal phase of typical inflammatory bowel disease. Although we report qPCR confirmation of representative differentially expressed transcripts determined initially by microarray, these findings may be considered preliminary to the extent that they require further confirmation in a validation cohort.
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PMID:Identification of unique gene expression profile in children with regressive autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ileocolitis. 2352 Apr 85

Autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are heterogeneous, severe neurodevelopmental pathologies. The main core symptoms are: dysfunctions in social interactions and communication skills, restricted interests, repetitive and stereotypic verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Several biochemical processes are associated with ASDs: oxidative stress; endoplasmic reticulum stress; decreased methylation capacity; limited production of glutathione; mitochondrial dysfunction; intestinal dysbiosis; increased toxic metal burden; immune dysregulation. Current available treatments for ASDs can be divided into behavioral, nutritional and medical approaches, although no defined standard approach exists. Current drugs fail to benefit the ASD core symptoms and can have marked adverse effects, are mainly palliative and only sometimes efficacy in attenuating specific autistic behaviors. Helminthic therapy shows potential for application as anti-inflammatory agent. Several human diseases can be treated by helminths (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diabetes). Trichuris suis ova (TSO) show strong immunomodulatory properties. Authors hypothesize that TSO could be useful in addressing ASD immune dysregulations. TSO could be a novel therapeutic option for ASD management.
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PMID:Possible use of Trichuris suis ova in autism spectrum disorders therapy. 2359 46

The microbiota colonizes every surface exposed to the external world and in the gut, it plays important roles in physiological functions such as the maturation of the immune system, the degradation of complex food macromolecules and also behaviour. As such, the immune system has developed tools to cohabit with the microbiota, but also to keep it under control. When this control is lost, dysbiosis, i.e. deregulation in bacterial communities, can occur and this can lead to inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes and autism. For these reasons, the analysis of the microbiota, its interactions with the host and its composition in disease, have been intensively investigated in the last few years. In this review, we summarize the major findings in the interaction of the microbiota with the host immune system.
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PMID:Intestinal microbiota and its effects on the immune system. 2472 Jun 13

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by dysfunctions in social interactions, abnormal to absent verbal communication, restricted interests, and repetitive stereotypic verbal and non-verbal behaviors, influencing the ability to relate to and communicate. The core symptoms of ASDs concern the cognitive, emotional, and neurobehavioural domains. The prevalence of autism appears to be increasing at an alarming rate, yet there is a lack of effective and definitive pharmacological options. This has created an increased sense of urgency, and the need to identify novel therapies. Given the growing awareness of immune dysregulation in a significant portion of the autistic population, cell therapies have been proposed and applied to ASDs. In particular, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the immunological properties which make them promising candidates in regenerative medicine. MSC therapy may be applicable to several diseases associated with inflammation and tissue damage, where subsequent regeneration and repair is necessary. MSCs could exert a positive effect in ASDs through the following mechanisms: stimulation of repair in the damaged tissue, e.g., inflammatory bowel disease; synthesizing and releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines and survival-promoting growth factors; integrating into existing neural and synaptic network, and restoring plasticity. The paracrine mechanisms of MSCs show interesting potential in ASD treatment. Promising and impressive results have been reported from the few clinical studies published to date, although the exact mechanisms of action of MSCs in ASDs to restore functions are still largely unknown. The potential role of MSCs in mediating ASD recovery is discussed in light of the newest findings from recent clinical studies.
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PMID:Mesenchymal stem cells in treating autism: Novel insights. 2477 44

Human beings and gut microbiota are in a symbiotic relationship, and the hypothesis of a "super organism" composed of the human organism and microbes has been recently proposed. The gut microbiota fulfills important metabolic and immunological tasks, and the impairment of its composition might alter homeostasis and lead to the development of microbiota-related diseases. The most common illnesses associated with alterations of the gut microbiota include inflammatory bowel disease, gastroenteric infections, irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal functional diseases, colorectal cancer, metabolic syndrome and obesity, liver diseases, allergic diseases, and neurological diseases such as autism. In theory, every disease associated with the impairment of intestinal microflora might benefit from the therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiota. A number of attempts to manipulate the microbiota have not produced identical results for every disease. Although antibiotics and probiotics have been available for a long time, the so-called fecal microbiota transplantation, which is a very old remedy, was only recently re-evaluated as a promising therapeutic approach for microbiota impairment. A comprehensive understanding of the gut microbiota composition, in states of both health and various diseases, is needed for the development of future approaches for microbiota modulation and for developing targeted therapies. In this review, we describe the role of the microbiota in several diseases and the related treatment options that are currently available.
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PMID:Therapeutic modulation of gut microbiota: current clinical applications and future perspectives. 2490 8

The microbiota of the human gut is gaining broad attention owing to its association with a wide range of diseases, ranging from metabolic disorders (e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes) to autoimmune diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes), cancer and even neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism). Having been increasingly used in biomedical research, mice have become the model of choice for most studies in this emerging field. Mouse models allow perturbations in gut microbiota to be studied in a controlled experimental setup, and thus help in assessing causality of the complex host-microbiota interactions and in developing mechanistic hypotheses. However, pitfalls should be considered when translating gut microbiome research results from mouse models to humans. In this Special Article, we discuss the intrinsic similarities and differences that exist between the two systems, and compare the human and murine core gut microbiota based on a meta-analysis of currently available datasets. Finally, we discuss the external factors that influence the capability of mouse models to recapitulate the gut microbiota shifts associated with human diseases, and investigate which alternative model systems exist for gut microbiota research.
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PMID:How informative is the mouse for human gut microbiota research? 2556 44


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