Re: NEW STUDY - Mitochondrial Autism is Real; Vaccine Triggers Cannot Be Ruled Out

[Guest guest]

one of my sons has PPD-NOS and exhibits the following mito symptoms:

short stature

low energy level

chronic constipation

all the usual PDD neurological issues

I've asked 2 different doctors about the possibility of mitochondrial

disease, I got blank stares and some fumbling answers that basically

said: not likely, but I was convinced these guys did not have a clue.

Problem is that these issues are way out of the league of your local

pediatrician and requires heavy duty lifting to get a mito diagnosis.

[Guest guest]

---

Awesome job as usual ! ThankYOU! In EOHarm ,

wrote:

>

> NEW STUDY - " Mitochondrial Autism " is Real; Vaccine Triggers Cannot

Be Ruled Out

>

> DAVID KIRBY - Huffington Post

>

> The December 1st issue of Time Magazine carries a special section

on " The Year in Medicine, " which mentions the case of Hannah Poling,

the young girl with autism who received compensation from the federal

vaccine injury program. Like many news accounts back then, Time has

called the case " rare, " because it involved an underlying dysfunction

of Hannah's mitochondria, the little powerhouses within each cell

that produce energy.

>

> The widespread misconception that Hannah's case was " unique, " and

without any bearing on other autism cases, was promulgated by opinion

leaders such as CDC Director Gerberding and the newly rich

vaccine inventor Dr. Offit, (who told Newsweek that his share of

the royalties from the vaccine was " like winning the lottery. " )

>

> But on Wednesday, a new chart-review study was published showing

that " mitochondrial autism " is not rare at all.

>

> " These and prior data suggest a disturbance of mitochondrial energy

production as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism in a subset

of individuals with autism, " wrote the authors of the

study, " Mitochondrial Disease in Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients: A

Cohort Analysis. " http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%

2Fjournal.pone.0003815

>

> In fact, the authors wrote that mitochondrial dysfunction " may be

present in a substantial percentage of children with ASD. " (They did

not mention prevalence in adults with autism).

>

> I first reported on this phenomenon back in March, when I

interviewed one the of the study's authors. Back then, I wrote that

mitochondrial dysfunction was detected in 7-to-30 percent of people

with autism, and that genetic mutations that might confer such

dysfunction could be as common as 1 in 50 people in the general

population.

>

> Now, I freely admit that I do not understand everything written in

this new study. But there are a few things that I think are worth

pointing out.

>

> REGRESSIVE AUTISM IS REAL

>

> I have long held that there are many different subsets of autism

cases. One such group is made up of children who were developing

normally, only to regress later - typically between one and two years

of age. Nearly all of the children in my book regressed into autism -

a process that often began almost immediately after receiving

multiple vaccinations.

>

> Perhaps that is why the very idea of regressive autism has been

cause for derision among many scientists, who insist that the parents

were simply too ignorant to " notice " autism symptoms in their

children earlier on.

>

> But among the 25 children in the chart review, 14 of them, or 56%,

suffered from " regression of previously acquired skills. " This is a

rate that is significantly above the roughly " one third of autistic

children " in general who are reported to have regressed, the authors

said. So then, not only is regressive autism real, it seems to be

almost twice as common in cases of " mitochondrial autism, " (the

authors; words, not mine).

>

> MANY CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ARE PRONE TO BIOMEDICAL PROBLEMS

>

> Most of the children in my book - and Hannah Poling as well - had

rather severe physical, biomedical problems associated with their

regression. Again, this claim has been met with scorn by many in the

medical and science communities, who say that autism is much more of

a behavioral/neurological than biomedical condition. Parents and

doctors who do try to treat these physical symptoms - with

conventional and alternative therapies alike - are singled out for

particular damnation by many of these so-called experts.

>

> And yet, the authors of this study found the following:

>

> Twenty-one patients (84%) had histories of major non-neurological

medical problems, most commonly of the gastrointestinal system, with

gastroesophageal reflux affecting nine and constipation affecting

eight subjects. Seven patients had structural or functional

cardiovascular abnormalities. In addition, 17 patients had excessive

fatigability or exercise intolerance and several children had

abnormal physical exam findings including six with facial

dysmorphism, four with microcephaly, four with macrocephaly, and five

with growth retardation.

> Again, biomedical problems - in addition to regression - may be

more common in the subset of children with " mitochondrial autism. "

>

> Much more research is needed in this regard. As the authors

noted: " it is possible, if not likely, that a still broader clinical,

biochemical and genetic spectrum of mitochondrial autism exists. "

>

> MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IS NOT NECESSARILY INHERITED

>

> Of the 25 children in this study, only two (8%) had specific

mutations in their mitochondrial DNA that are considered pathogenic

(disease causing). Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother

only. And though mutations in the nuclear DNA (inherited from both

parents) can affect mitochondrial function, the authors wrote: " It is

possible that there are important environmental or genetic factors in

addition to the mtDNA mutation " in the development of autism in some

cases.

>

> This finding is not inconsistent with an earlier estimate from the

Cleveland Clinic, which says that 75% of mitochondrial disorders

are " sporadic " in nature, meaning they were probably triggered by

environmental factors. Heavy metals, pesticides, formaldehyde,

alcohol and some medications can damage mitochondria, especially in

developing fetuses, published studies show.

>

> BIO-MARKERS FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO

MEASURE

>

> The authors used reference levels to measure " blood lactate and

pyruvate, plasma alanine, urinary organic acids, CK (creatine kinase)

AST (aspartate transaminase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase, " they

wrote. And they added that, " Biochemical evidence of mitochondrial

ETC dysfunction included increased blood lactate and pyruvate levels,

elevated plasma alanine level, and increased urinary levels of Krebs

cycle intermediates or 3-methylglutaconate. "

>

> This is significant because one day, we may routinely test children

for signs of mitochondrial dysfunction. Such tests might be able to

predict which children are most at risk for autistic regression and

other developmental problems. They could also be quite useful for

diagnostics and biomedical treatments in children with autism.

>

> VACCINES MAY PLAY A ROLE IN AUTISTIC REGRESSION IN SOME CHILDREN

WITH MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION

>

> Here is where the long knives of science really come out. And it is

why the Hannah Poling case is so extraordinarily controversial.

>

> " Recently, there has been increased concern regarding a possible

causative role of vaccinations in autistic children with an

underlying mitochondrial cytopathy (cellular disorder), " the authors

wrote. " For one of our 25 patients (Hannah, who DOES have autism,

contrary to claims by Gerberding, Offit et al, who erroneously

insisted, without ever meeting the child, that she only

had " features " of autism), the child's autism/neurodevelopmental

deterioration appeared to follow vaccination. Although there may have

been a temporal relationship of the events in this case, such timing

does not prove causation. "

>

> Maybe not - but one must wonder, then, why medical personnel at

HHS's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program conceded that the " cause "

of Hannah's " autistic encephalopathy " was " vaccine induced fever and

immune stimulation that exceeded metabolic reserves. "

>

> When I first reported this story, the researcher I spoke to told me

there had been 30 children in the study, and two of them (8%) showed

signs of brain injury from vaccines. Of the five children since

excluded from the final published review, one must have been the

second vaccine-related regression.

>

> Most of the children had regressed following illness-induced fever,

the doctor told me. But now I wonder how accurate that statement was.

>

> Why? Because we now find out that nine of the children (36%) had so-

called " multiple regressions, " and nothing in this review indicates

that any attempt was made to determine if vaccines, febrile

infections, or some other factors acted as triggers in the subsequent

regressive episodes.

>

> But there is no mention at all in this new review of parental

interviews, nor of comparing vaccination records with the timing of

the regressions. Likewise, there was no attempt in the paper to

explain the regressions with other illnesses or stressful events.

>

> No wonder, then, that the authors themselves conclude that " there

might be no difference between the inflammatory or catabolic stress

of vaccinations and that of common childhood diseases, which are

known precipitants of mitochondrial regression. "

>

> In fact, they added: " Large population-based studies will be needed

to identify a possible relationship of vaccination with autistic

regression in persons with mitochondrial cytopathies. "

>

> This statement will surely be heartily endorsed by the United

Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF), which supports research into

mito dysfunction and autistic regression. Last April, at a vaccine

safety meeting at HHS in Washington, a leading scientist affiliated

with the UMDF, Dr, Wallace of the University of California at

Irvine, said that over-vaccination of people with mitochondrial

disorders was a deep concern, especially in light of Hannah Poling,

who got nine vaccines at once.

>

> (Time Magazine said she got " five injections " but failed to mention

that two of them contained triple vaccines. Time also said that

Hannah's situation was " unique, " which is demonstrably false and will

require a correction).

>

> We have always advocated spreading the immunizations out as much as

possible because every time you vaccinate, you are creating a

challenge for the system, Dr. Wallace testified. And if a child has

an impaired system, that could in fact trigger further clinical

problems.

>

> I took that to mean that children with impaired mitochondria might

also have impaired immune systems. And children with impaired immune

systems might not be able to handle nine vaccines at once.

>

> OTHER OBSERVATIONS

>

> There were many other very interesting findings from this review

that should be followed up by scientists as soon as possible. For

example, the ratio of boys to girls was roughly 1-to-1, as opposed to

the 4-to-1 boy/girl ratio found in " idiopathic " cases (or, autism of

unknown origin).

>

> Also, some of the siblings of the autism cases also had

mitochondrial disorders, but did not regress into autism. This fact

would be extremely important in developing a susceptibility

hypothesis.

>

> Finally, the youngest children in this chart review were two years

of age. I was told that the review first began five years ago,

meaning that all of these cases were born before 2002. That is

significant because most of these children would have received a

large number of vaccines containing thimerosal - the preservative

made with 49.6% mercury - which is a known toxicant to mitochondria.

>

> One would expect that this new study would prompt Time Magazine,

Gerberding and Offit to issue statements of correction on

the " rarity " of mitochondrial disorders in autism.

>

> But one should not hold one's breath, in my opinion.

>

[Guest guest]

Let's not forget, that 8 or 9 years ago, school officials had little conception of what "autistic spectrum disorder" may have meant. Our thinking has morphed over the last few years, and many of us are ready to embrace different paradigms which were not so obvious to us 10 years ago. As sad as it is, many in the establishment have not caught up with the rest of our thoughts and ideas, because they have not been spending any time listening to our ideas. Some of them are still grappling with autism as a genetic disorder, which it clearly cannot be, and they aren't "available" to apply their thoughts and energies to evaluating other paradigms.AasaFrom: trophyfish2

Subject: Re: NEW STUDY - "Mitochondrial Autism" is Real; Vaccine Triggers Cannot Be Ruled OutTo: EOHarm Received: Saturday, November 29, 2008, 12:45 AM

one of my sons has PPD-NOS and exhibits the following mito symptoms:

short stature

low energy level

chronic constipation

all the usual PDD neurological issues

I've asked 2 different doctors about the possibility of mitochondrial

disease, I got blank stares and some fumbling answers that basically

said: not likely, but I was convinced these guys did not have a clue.

Problem is that these issues are way out of the league of your local

pediatrician and requires heavy duty lifting to get a mito diagnosis.

[Guest guest]

Really wonderful work, . I didn't want to write this on your blog

but I thought the researchers were extemporizing like twelve year olds

caught with beer. Common childhood illnesses cause the same stress on

the immune system as vaccines? Huh? And that explains the rise in rates

because they, um, er, didn't have common childhood illnesses in 1928?

It was strange-- they really know what they have here but seemed to be

feigning some head-scratching innocence over it. Makes you wonder if

they were committing a kind of insurrection. Who knows, but this can't

be taken back in any case.

>

> NEW STUDY - " Mitochondrial Autism " is Real; Vaccine Triggers Cannot

Be Ruled Out

>

> DAVID KIRBY - Huffington Post

>

> The December 1st issue of Time Magazine carries a special section

on " The Year in Medicine, " which mentions the case of Hannah Poling,

the young girl with autism who received compensation from the federal

vaccine injury program. Like many news accounts back then, Time has

called the case " rare, " because it involved an underlying dysfunction

of Hannah's mitochondria, the little powerhouses within each cell that

produce energy.

[Guest guest]

Excellent work, .

I would imagine the organizations that these folks are tied to must be coughing up a lung when reading things like this. The next efforts will be to discount that there is such a thing as a mitochondrial disease and say it's all an imagined, mental disorder. Can you imagine when (not IF but when) things like this are tied together? Those who stood so boldly and swore it was all not true are not going to look so great in anyones eyes and the organizations they represent? Probably will go down the tubes with them.

TZ "It is possible that there are important environmental or genetic factors in addition to the mtDNA mutation" in the development of autism in some cases.This finding is not inconsistent with an earlier estimate from the Cleveland Clinic, which says that 75% of mitochondrial disorders are "sporadic" in nature, meaning they were probably triggered by environmental factors. Heavy metals, pesticides, formaldehyde, alcohol and some medications can damage mitochondria, especially in developing fetuses, published studies show.BIO-MARKERS FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO

MEASURE The authors used reference levels to measure "blood lactate and pyruvate, plasma alanine, urinary organic acids, CK (creatine kinase) AST (aspartate transaminase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase, " they wrote. And they added that, "Biochemical evidence of mitochondrial ETC dysfunction included increased blood lactate and pyruvate levels, elevated plasma alanine level, and increased urinary levels of Krebs cycle intermediates or 3-methylglutaconate ."This is significant because one day, we may routinely test children for signs of mitochondrial dysfunction. Such tests might be able to predict which children are most at risk for autistic regression and other developmental problems. They could also be quite useful for diagnostics and biomedical treatments in children with autism.VACCINES MAY PLAY A ROLE IN AUTISTIC REGRESSION IN SOME CHILDREN WITH MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTIONHere is where the long knives of science

really come out. And it is why the Hannah Poling case is so extraordinarily controversial."Recently, there has been increased concern regarding a possible causative role of vaccinations in autistic children with an underlying mitochondrial cytopathy (cellular disorder)," the authors wrote. "For one of our 25 patients (Hannah, who DOES have autism, contrary to claims by Gerberding, Offit et al, who erroneously insisted, without ever meeting the child, that she only had "features" of autism), the child's autism/neurodevelop mental deterioration appeared to follow vaccination. Although there may have been a temporal relationship of the events in this case, such timing does not prove causation."Maybe not - but one must wonder, then, why medical personnel at HHS's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program conceded that the "cause" of Hannah's "autistic encephalopathy" was "vaccine induced fever and immune stimulation that exceeded metabolic

reserves."When I first reported this story, the researcher I spoke to told me there had been 30 children in the study, and two of them (8%) showed signs of brain injury from vaccines. Of the five children since excluded from the final published review, one must have been the second vaccine-related regression.Most of the children had regressed following illness-induced fever, the doctor told me. But now I wonder how accurate that statement was. Why? Because we now find out that nine of the children (36%) had so-called "multiple regressions, " and nothing in this review indicates that any attempt was made to determine if vaccines, febrile infections, or some other factors acted as triggers in the subsequent regressive episodes.But there is no mention at all in this new review of parental interviews, nor of comparing vaccination records with the timing of the regressions. Likewise, there was no attempt in the paper to

explain the regressions with other illnesses or stressful events.No wonder, then, that the authors themselves conclude that "there might be no difference between the inflammatory or catabolic stress of vaccinations and that of common childhood diseases, which are known precipitants of mitochondrial regression."In fact, they added: "Large population-based studies will be needed to identify a possible relationship of vaccination with autistic regression in persons with mitochondrial cytopathies. "This statement will surely be heartily endorsed by the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF), which supports research into mito dysfunction and autistic regression. Last April, at a vaccine safety meeting at HHS in Washington, a leading scientist affiliated with the UMDF, Dr, Wallace of the University of California at Irvine, said that over-vaccination of people with mitochondrial disorders was a deep concern, especially

in light of Hannah Poling, who got nine vaccines at once. (Time Magazine said she got "five injections" but failed to mention that two of them contained triple vaccines. Time also said that Hannah's situation was "unique," which is demonstrably false and will require a correction).We have always advocated spreading the immunizations out as much as possible because every time you vaccinate, you are creating a challenge for the system, Dr. Wallace testified. And if a child has an impaired system, that could in fact trigger further clinical problems. I took that to mean that children with impaired mitochondria might also have impaired immune systems. And children with impaired immune systems might not be able to handle nine vaccines at once. OTHER OBSERVATIONSThere were many other very interesting findings from this review that should be followed up by scientists as soon as possible. For example, the ratio of boys to

girls was roughly 1-to-1, as opposed to the 4-to-1 boy/girl ratio found in "idiopathic" cases (or, autism of unknown origin).Also, some of the siblings of the autism cases also had mitochondrial disorders, but did not regress into autism. This fact would be extremely important in developing a susceptibility hypothesis.Finally, the youngest children in this chart review were two years of age. I was told that the review first began five years ago, meaning that all of these cases were born before 2002. That is significant because most of these children would have received a large number of vaccines containing thimerosal - the preservative made with 49.6% mercury - which is a known toxicant to mitochondria.One would expect that this new study would prompt Time Magazine, Gerberding and Offit to issue statements of correction on the "rarity" of mitochondrial disorders in autism.But one should not hold one's breath,

in my opinion.