MEASLES VACCINE AND AUTISM

[Guest guest]

>>Did Measles Shot Hurt Autistic Child?

>>by Wahlberg, Ann Arbor News Staff Reporter

>>Tuesday, November 10, 1998

>>

>>Ann Arbor, Michigan - When 7 year old Whiteman was little, he

>>wiggled and goggled like most healthy babies. That changed after he

got

>>his measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, shot at 15 months. quit

>>talking. He didn't respond to noises or make eye contact. He was

>>eventually diagnosed with autism. " He went from being an active ,

>>fun-loving, happy baby to being a fussy baby lying limp in my arms. "

>>said his mother, Kathleen McClatchey Whiteman of Saline. She thinks

his

>>autism may have been caused by the MMR vaccine, a claim boosted by

>>recent research at the University of michigan. A study found that

>>autistic children whose immune systems are highly charged to fight off

>>measles also produce proteins that destroy brain fibers, a process

>>possibly triggered by an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

>>

>>The damaged brain fibers are likely involved in autism, a disorder

that

>>affects some 500,000 Americans by interfering with social interaction,

>>imagination and communication.

>>U-M pharmacy researchers Vijendra Singh and Victor Yang who published

>>the study in the October issue of the journal Clinical Immunology and

>>Immunopathology, say they have found a correlation between autism and

>>measles, but not solid proof of a link. I'm not convinced the MMR

>>vaccine is the culprit, but it very well could be, Singh said.

>>

>>In the study of 48 autistic children and 34 normal children and

adults,

>>the researchers measured levels of antibodies - immune-system proteins

-

>>to the measles virus and human herpesvirus 6. They also looked at

levels

>>of two autoantibodies, which are immune-system proteins that react to

>>brain tissue. One, anti-MBP, is targeted at a protective sheath around

>>brain nerve fibers called myelin. The other, anti-NAFP, is directed at

>>the nerve fibers themselves. Levels of virus antibodies were

essentially

>>the same in both groups. But most autistic children with virus

>>antibodies also had brain autoantibodies. Most importantly, the more

>>virus antibodies they had, the more likely they were to have the brain

>>autoantibodies. None of the non-autistic subjects had brain

>>autoantibodies.

>>The strongest link was between measles virus antibodies and anti-MBP,

>>suggesting that exposure to the measles virus may cause the immune

>>systems of children with autism to attack myelin, Singh said. None of

>>the autistic children in the study had measles in the past, but all

had

>>the MMR vaccine.

>>

>>When myelin is impaired, the function of nerve cells is altered, which

>>can distort a person's behavior. " It's sort of like a telephone wire, "

>>Singh said, " If you have nicks on the wire, the message might not be

>>translated properly. " The most likely explanation for the connection

>>between autism and measles is that some autistic people are

genetically

>>predisposed to the disorder, Singh said. Measles - or the MMR vaccine

-

>>may some how prompt their immune systems to act in a negative way

while

>>leaving other people

>>unharmed. If measles is a factor in autism, it may not be the only

>>virus to play a

>>role. The mumps and rubella portions of MMR must also be examined,

Singh

>>said. In addition, the diptheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, or DPT,

>>could also be involved, along with other viruses. Singh compiled a

>>nonscientific, anecdotal survey of 88 autistic children whose families

>>have contacted him. Of those, 51 percent said symptoms of

>>autism began shortly after the MMR vaccination, and 36 percent said

the

>>problems started days after the DPT shot.

>>

>> " It's mind boggling, " Singh said of the association between autism

cases

>>and the vaccines. " This could really be happening. " But he is not

>>suggesting that babies avoid the vaccines. " We still have a lot more

>>research we must do. " he said. " In general, I

>>believe that vaccines are very good as preventative medicine, and I

tell

>>parents to discuss the situation with their doctors. "

Whiteman's

>>doctor, Weinblatt, a pediatrician with Integrated Health

>>Associates in Ann Arbor, also said children should

>>continue getting vaccines. There is absolutely no evidence of a link,

he

>>said.

>>

>>Anecdotal stories are difficult to prove, especially those concerning

>>the first noticeable symptoms of autism in young children, Weinblatt

>>said. " IT'S JUST THAT YOU START SEEING THOSE KINDS OF SYMPTOMS AROUND

>>THE AGE YOU GET THE VACCINE, " he said.

>>, who was in Singh's study, was diagnosed with autism when he

was

>>4. He started having violent outbursts along with trouble sleeping and

>>difficulty speaking. Bright light made him irritable, and he stopped

>>wanting to play with his twin sister, preferring to be alone. " It's

the

>>complete opposite of when he was a baby, " said McClatchey Whiteman,

who

>>works in U-M's Information Technology Division. Singh's tests showed

>>that has the brain antibodies that attack myelin. So six weeks

>>ago, with Singh's advice, McClatchey Whiteman started giving him pills

>>of cow brain myelin (My note: Sphingolin), a suuplement she purchased

>>through the mail at a California pharmacy.

>>

>>The treatment appears to have worked wonders. 's screaming

>>tantrums, which had erupted six to eight times a day, now usually

happen

>>just once. He used to wake up at 2 A.M., three days a week, but he's

>>done that only twice in the past five weeks.

>>His speech, previously characterized by single words or two-word

>>phrases, is now coming in phrases and sentences, his mother said.

>>McClatchey Whiteman is excited about Singh's research and her son's

>>progress. " Maybe we're onto something here that can really help these

>>kids. "

>>

>>Note: Vijendra Singh, Ph.D. can be reached at : singhvk@... or

>>Tel# 734-647-1829

>>