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

Autism is a multi-factorial pathology observed in children with altered levels of essential and elevated levels of toxic elements. There are also studies reporting a decrease in nutritional trace elements in the hair and nail of autistic children with healthy controls; moreover, bioelements have been shown to play an important role in the central nervous system. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of trace elements like copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and selenium (Se) and toxic elements like mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in the hair and nail samples of autistic children and to evaluate whether the level of these elements could be correlated with the severity of autism. The subjects of the study were 45 autistic children with different grades of severity (low (LFA), medium (MFA), and high (HFA) functioning autism) according to Childhood Autism Rating Scale, n = 15 children in each group and 50 healthy children (age and sex matched). The boys and girls ratio involved in this study was 4:1, and they were 4-12 years of age. The study observed a valid indication of Cu body burden in the autistic children. The children with different grades of autism showed high significance (p < 0.001) in the level of copper in their hair and nail samples when compared to healthy controls. The level of Cu in the autistic children could be correlated with their degree of severity (more the Cu burden severe is autism). The study showed a significant elevation (p < 0.001) in the levels of toxic metals Pb and Hg in both hair and nail samples of autistic children when compared to healthy control group. The elevation was much pronounced in LFA group subjects when compared among autistic groups MFA and HFA. The levels of trace elements Mg and Se were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in autistic children when compared to control. The trace element Zn showed significant variation in both hair and nails of LFA group children when compared to control group and other study groups. The significant elevation in the concentration of Cu, Pb, and Hg and significant decrease in the concentration of Mg and Se observed in the hair and nail samples of autistic subjects could be well correlated with their degrees of severity.
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PMID:Level of trace elements (copper, zinc, magnesium and selenium) and toxic elements (lead and mercury) in the hair and nail of children with autism. 2062 37

Leanna, a 10-year-old girl with autism, was hospitalized for severe malnutrition and 20 pound weight loss secondary to reduced intake over 4 months. Her food choices became increasingly restrictive to the point where she only ate certain types and brands of foods. She gradually stopped drinking and developed severe constipation and encopresis. A new behavior of collecting saliva in her mouth and spitting onto napkins also emerged. Vital signs and electrolytes were normal on admission. A nasogastric tube was placed because she refused to eat. A behavior modification plan was implemented that awarded points for completing specific tasks related to feeding, which could later be redeemed for specific rewards, such as computer time. Although her ideal body weight increased from 68% to 75% (due to continuous nasogastric tube feeds), her refusal to eat persisted. Upon further data gathering, the staff learned that she moved and changed schools 5 months ago. She was cared for by either a family friend or paid caregiver while her mother worked. Although she could conduct basic self-care activities without assistance and write and draw at a third-grade level, she functioned cognitively at a 4-year-old level. The behavior plan was modified, breaking the tasks into shorter components with immediate and tangible rewards. She soon began eating small portions of food and spitting less frequently. Toileting was later incorporated into this plan. She was referred to a behavioral therapist in the community to work with her at home and school. Weekly visits with her pediatrician and appointments with a child psychiatrist and dietician were made. Orlando, a 3-year-old boy with autism, was evaluated in the emergency room for lethargy and generalized edema for 6 weeks. The history revealed a restrictive diet of commercial pureed fruit and coconut juice for 2 years. He only ate a particular brand and with specific containers; the limited food intake occurred only with his favorite blanket. He refused to eat other types of food. Outpatient treatments were unsuccessful. On physical examination, he was irritable with an erythematous, scaly rash throughout his body. His hair was thin, coarse, and blonde. He had nonpitting edema in his arms, legs, and periorbital region. The laboratory evaluation was significant for anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hypoproteinemia. He was admitted to the pediatric service where nutritional formula feedings were initiated through a nasogastric tube. Weight gain was adequate, and the hemoglobin, serum albumen, and protein became normal. The rash improved with zinc supplementation. He was transferred to an inpatient feeding disorders unit where a team of occupational therapists implemented a behavioral modification program to overcome his severe food aversion.
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PMID:Severe feeding disorder and malnutrition in 2 children with autism. 2135 13

Elucidation of the pathogenesis and effective treatment of autism spectrum disorders is one of the challenges today. In this study, we examine hair zinc concentrations for 1,967 children with autistic disorders (1,553 males and 414 females), and show considerable association with zinc deficiency. Histogram of hair zinc concentration was non-symmetric with tailing in lower range, and 584 subjects were found to have lower zinc concentrations than -2 standard deviation level of its reference range (86.3-193 ppm). The incidence rate of zinc deficiency in infant group aged 0-3 year-old was estimated 43.5 % in male and 52.5 % in female. The lowest zinc concentration of 10.7 ppm was detected in a 2-year-old boy, corresponding to about 1/12 of the control mean level. These findings suggest that infantile zinc deficiency may epigenetically contribute to the pathogenesis of autism and nutritional approach may yield a novel hope for its treatment and prevention.
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PMID:Infantile zinc deficiency: association with autism spectrum disorders. 2235 46

The number of children ages 6 to 21 in the United States receiving special education services under the autism disability category increased 91% between 2005 to 2010 while the number of children receiving special education services overall declined by 5%. The demand for special education services continues to rise in disability categories associated with pervasive developmental disorders. Neurodevelopment can be adversely impacted when gene expression is altered by dietary transcription factors, such as zinc insufficiency or deficiency, or by exposure to toxic substances found in our environment, such as mercury or organophosphate pesticides. Gene expression patterns differ geographically between populations and within populations. Gene variants of paraoxonase-1 are associated with autism in North America, but not in Italy, indicating regional specificity in gene-environment interactions. In the current review, we utilize a novel macroepigenetic approach to compare variations in diet and toxic substance exposure between these two geographical populations to determine the likely factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States.
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PMID:A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States. 2249 Feb 77

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common known genetic form of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. FXS patients suffer a broad range of other neurological symptoms, including hyperactivity, disrupted circadian activity cycles, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and childhood seizures. The high incidence and devastating effects of this disease state make finding effective pharmacological treatments imperative. Recently, reports in both mouse and Drosophila FXS disease models have indicated that the tetracycline derivative minocycline may hold great therapeutic promise for FXS patients. Both models strongly suggest that minocycline acts on the FXS disease state via inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a class of zinc-dependent extracellular proteases important in tissue remodeling and cell-cell signaling. Recent FXS clinical trials indicate that minocycline may be effective in treating human patients. In this paper, we summarize the recent studies in Drosophila and mouse FXS disease models and human FXS patients, which indicate that minocycline may be an effective FXS therapeutic treatment, and discuss the data forming the basis for the proposed minocycline mechanism of action as an MMP inhibitor.
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PMID:Matrix metalloproteinases and minocycline: therapeutic avenues for fragile X syndrome. 2268 76

Toxic levels of heavy metals and low levels of essential minerals have been suggested to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study documents the levels of heavy metals and essential minerals in hair samples of children with ASD in Muscat, the urbanized capital of Oman, Muscat. The study included 27 children with ASD and 27 matched non-ASD controls. Parental interviews were held and dietary intake questionnaires completed in conjunction with the collection of hair samples. Analysis of heavy metals and essential minerals was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Chi-square analysis and non-parametric Fisher's exact tests were used to assess statistical significance. Children with ASD had significantly higher levels of all 11 analyzed heavy metals in their hair samples (P < 0.05), ranging from 150 to 365 % of control levels. ASD children also had significantly higher levels of essential minerals sulfur, sodium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron, but lower levels of calcium and copper in their hair samples. This study corroborates data from previous studies in different parts of the world indicating the presence of elevated levels of heavy metals and selective depletion of essential minerals in the hair of children with ASD.
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PMID:Levels of heavy metals and essential minerals in hair samples of children with autism in Oman: a case-control study. 2318 79

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in communication and social behavior, and by repetitive behaviors. Although genetic factors might be largely responsible for the occurrence of autism they cannot fully account for all cases and it is likely that in addition to a certain combination of autism-related genes, specific environmental factors might act as risk factors triggering the development of autism. Thus, the role of environmental factors in autism is an important area of research and recent data will be discussed in this review. Interestingly, the results show that many environmental risk factors are interrelated and their identification and comparison might unveil a common scheme of alterations on a contextual as well as molecular level. For example, both, disruption in the immune system and in zinc homeostasis may affect synaptic transmission in autism. Thus, here, a model is proposed that interconnects the most important and scientifically recognized environmental factors. Moreover, similarities in how these risk factors impact synapse function are discussed and a possible influence on an already well described genetic pathway leading to the development of autism via zinc homeostasis is proposed.
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PMID:Environmental factors in autism. 2334 59

Clarification of the pathogenesis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders is one of the challenges today. In this study, we examine scalp hair concentrations of 26 trace elements for 1,967 children with autistic disorders (1,553 males and 414 females). Five-hundred and eighty-four (29.7%), 347 (17.6%) and 114 (5.8%) subjects was found deficient in zinc, magnesium and calcium, respectively, and 2.0% or less in the other essential metals. The incidence rate of mineral deficiency was highly observed in infants aged 0-3 year-old. In contrast, 339 (17.2%), 168 (8.5%) and 94 (4.8%) individuals was found suffering from high burden of aluminium, cadmium and lead, and 2.8% or less from mercury and arsenic burden. These findings suggest that infantile zinc- and magnesium-deficiency and/or toxic metal burdens may epigenetically play principal roles as environmental factors in autistic disorders and that metallomics approach may lead to early screening and prevention of the neurodevelopment disorders.
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PMID:Estimation of autistic children by metallomics analysis. 2338 69

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Several studies have suggested a disturbance in the copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) metabolism in ASDs. Zinc deficiency, excess Cu levels, and low Zn/Cu ratio are common in children diagnosed with an ASD. The literature also suggests that mercury accumulation may occur as a cause or consequence of metallothionein (MT) dysfunction in children diagnosed with an ASD, which may be one of the causes of Zn deficiency. MTs are proteins with important functions in metal metabolism and protection. Zinc and Cu bind to and participate in the control of the synthesis of MT proteins. Studies indicate that the GABAergic system may be involved in ASDs, and that Zn and Cu may play a role in this system.
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PMID:The role of zinc and copper in autism spectrum disorders. 2382 84

The body mass index of 164 children (aged 4-18 years) attending four autism rehabilitation centers in Istanbul, Turkey, was determined and assessed using the BMI-for-age percentile charts by the World Health Organization (WHO). The mean intake of energy and nutrients of 115 children were calculated using three-day food records. The feeding assessment surveys filled in by the parents/caregivers indicated that the major feeding problem among children was food selectivity. The majority of the children were overweight or obese (58.5%). A total of 11% of children were found to be severely thin and thin. The calcium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate intake of the majority of children were inadequate. The salt consumption in all age groups and cholesterol intake in normal, overweight and obese children were high.
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PMID:Body mass index, dietary intake and feeding problems of Turkish children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 2402 8


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