Fever Plus Mitochondrial Disease Could Be Risk Factor for Autistic Regression

Children diagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum present with a wide variety of genetic and environmental issues. Subgroups of these individuals have mitochondrial dysfunction. Very recent research was done to examine mitochondrial dysfunction and its association with autistic regression following a fever. In this research the investigators identified 28 patients who met diagnostic criteria for autistic spectrum disorders and mitochondrial disease. Autistic regression occurred in 60.7% (17 of 28), a statistically significant increase over the general autistic spectrum disorder population. Of the 17 individuals with autistic regression, 70.6% (12 of 17) regressed with fever and 29.4% (5 of 17) regressed without identifiable linkage to fever or vaccinations.

These researchers also noted that none of the subjects showed regression with vaccination unless a febrile response was present. The researchers concluded that although the study is small, a subgroup of patients with mitochondrial disease may be at risk of autistic regression with fever. In addition, although recommended vaccinations schedules are appropriate in mitochondrial dysfunction, fever management appears important for decreasing regression risk.

Landmark Study Gives More Evidence to the Mercury Autism Connection

A new study, “Biomarkers of Environmental Toxicity and Susceptibility in Autism” in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Neurological Sciences, confirms a causal link between sub acute mercury poisoning in children and their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The autism community reported that this study presents, “…some compelling evidence…consistent with the author’s theory that mercury exposure plays a role in autism.” This paper presents the first prospective, blinded cohort study to examine children diagnosed with an ASD using: urinary porphyrin profile analysis (UPPA) to assess the body-burden and physiological effects of their mercury, glutathione analysis to assess susceptibility to mercury poisoning, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores to measure ASD severity.

These evaluations established:

1. Non-chelated patients diagnosed with an ASD had UPPA profiles indicative of mercury poisoning that strongly correlated with ASD severity, measured using CARS scores.
2. Glutathione (a key biochemical in the body’s mercury detoxification pathway) was significantly lower in patients diagnosed with an ASD in comparison with its level in neurotypical controls.
3. Increasing mercury-poisoning severity, as indicated by the UPPA results, was associated with lower glutathione levels among the patients diagnosed with an ASD.

Based upon these findings, the researchers concluded,

Study Shows Mother’s of Autistic Children Has Similar Biochemical Patterns

A recent study from Dr. Jill James found significant similarities in biomedical markers commonly found in autistic children compared to their mothers, suggesting a consistent underlying genetic susceptibility.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) use, MMR vaccination and Autism

Developing a fever after receiving a vaccine is a common event in many children, which has led numerous doctors to recommend taking acetaminophen before or after to reduce the chances of fever.