Autism Link to Vaccine, Gluten, Casein: New Research/ Shrinks Win Ritalin Battle

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" Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet "

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March 14, 2001 Search www.feat.org/search/news.asp

Also: ADHD/Ritalin Lawsuit Against American Psychiatric

Association (APA) Dismissed

Autism Link to Vaccine, Gluten, Casein: Immune Research

Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Children With Regression Autism:

Evaluation of the Effects of Environmental Factors Including Vaccination

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

February 2001, part 2 • Volume 107 • Number 2

[The website address for this abstract has not yet been provided to the

FEAT Daily Newsletter. To inquire for this information as it becomes

available, contact the editor at editor@.... The full text of the

research study is also being pursued. Any reader who has online access to

the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is asked to provide us with a

copy of the paper for our study, at the same address. -ls ]

Harumi Jyonouchi; Sining Sun; Hoa Le

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Etiology of autism is unknown. However, there appears to be a casual

association between onset of regression/autistic behavior and infant

immunization/viral infection/adverse reactions to common food antigens

(gluten and cow’s milk). Previous literature indicates the presence of

autoantibodies against neuronal cells in autistic children and subtle immune

abnormalities such as skewed T2 responses.

In this study, we hypothesized that children with regression autism

may have aberrant immune responses against these common, usually benign

environmental factors, resulting in inflammatory and/or autoimmune

conditions in the CNS. As a first step to examine our hypothesis, we

determined innate and adaptive immune responses in children with autism

spectrum disorders (N=35, Age 2-14 yrs, median: 6 yr, 24 males and 9

females).

Innate immune responses are assessed by measuring production of TNF-,

IL-1, IL-6, sTNFRI, and sTNFRII after incubating peripheral blood

mononuclear (PBMN) cells overnight with endotoxin (LPS: 0.1 to 10 µg/ml).

Adaptive immune responses are assessed by measuring T cell cytokine (IFN-,

IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10) production in response to recall antigens (tetanus and

dust mite), mitogens (PHA and Con A) and IFN- inducing cytokines (IL-12p70

and IL-18) after culturing cells for 4 days with these stimuli. Production

of IL-12p40, IL-18, and TGF- was also measured in this setting.

Controls were obtained from healthy normal children (N=17, Age 2-16

yrs, median: 11 yrs). Onset of autism/developmental regression with

immunization was reported in 27/35 patients and 32/35 patients were reported

to have improvement of behavior by parents/teachers/therapists with a

casein-free/gluten-free diet. Autistic children produced higher TNF-

(p<0.01), sTNFRII (p=0.038), and IL-6 (p=0.01) with a low dose of LPS (0.1

µg/ml) than controls.

This is due to the presence of a subset of patients who produced large

amounts of these cytokines. In fact, 27/35 (77.1%) study subjects produced

higher than the maximum levels of TNF-, sTNFRII, IL-6 and/or IL-1 observed

in controls with a low dose of LPS. We also observed elevated serum levels

of these cytokines in 8/18 autistic children.

Our results thus indicate a high frequency of excessive innate immune

responses in children with regression autism. These results may partly

explain apparent association between onset of regression/autistic behavior

and immunization in these children. Production of IFN-, IL-5, IL-10 and

IL-12p40 was highly variable in autistic children. IL-4, IL-18, and TGF-

production by PBMN cells were generally low and did not differ between the

study subjects and controls.

We also assessed T1/T2 responses by comparing the ratio of IFN-/IL-5

levels produced with recall antigens. The ratio of IFN-/IL-5 did not differ

between autistic children and controls. However, 7 and 8 out of 35 autistic

children produced significantly high IL-12p40 with recall antigens and

IL-12/IL-18, respectively. IL-10 production was markedly variable in

autistic children: 10 and 11 out of 35 subjects produced high amounts of

IL-10 with PHA and tetanus, respectively, while 12/35 subjects produced

significantly low IL-10 with PHA as compared to controls.

These results also indicate aberrant production of regulatory

cytokines for T cell responses in subsets of autistic children.

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Judge Dismisses ADHD Lawsuit Against Shrinks

APA Praises Dismissal of ADHD Lawsuit as Victory

[From an American Psychiatric Association (APA) press release.]

http://64.14.118.139/topnews/Current_Releases/0313-144.html

San Diego - U.S. Newswire - In what has been described by the APA as

“a victory for sound medicine and free speech,” a federal judge in

California has dismissed a class-action lawsuit claiming that the APA

conspired with others to improperly broaden the diagnosis of Attention

Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

In a March 8 ruling, Senior U.S. District Judge Rudi Brewster said the

plaintiffs had failed to state a legally viable claim against the APA and

other defendants, and had produced no evidence to support their allegations.

In addition, the judge ruled that activities by defendants intended to

advance the medical understanding, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD were free

speech protected under California's anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against

Public Participation) statute.

" The ruling confirms that this lawsuit, and others like it, have no

basis in law or fact, " said Dr. M. Mirin, medical director for the

APA, based in Washington, D.C. " ADHD is a real disease that requires

professional diagnosis and treatment. This is a victory for parents seeking

to act in the best interests of their children. "

The California lawsuit and similar suits filed in federal courts in

Texas, Florida and New Jersey claimed that APA had conspired with a patient

support group, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity

Disorder (CHADD), and a pharmaceutical company, Novartis, to invent or

exaggerate ADHD as a disorder. APA was specifically accused of improperly

broadening the clinical diagnosis of ADHD in its authoritative Diagnostic

and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

" There is no evidence to support these outrageous claims " , said Mirin,

adding that he was " pleased, but not surprised " by the ruling. " The

existence of ADHD is based on a mountain of widely accepted scientific

evidence accumulated over decades of research, as well as clinical

experience from treating -- and helping -- millions of children, " he said.

Specifically, the judge ruled that:

-- APA and the other defendants in the suit " have met their burden of

showing that the anti-SLAPP statute applies, because the speech at issue is

clearly speech protected under the United States and California

Constitutions in connection with a public issue. "

-- The plaintiffs " failed to show misrepresentation of any material

facts, by whom any misrepresentations were made, when any misrepresentations

were made, and where any misrepresentations were made as required by the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. "

-- The complaint " fails to state a cause of action because of a number

of defects, including the absence of any allegations of causation,

actionable conduct or damage. "

Judge Brewster said the plaintiffs could amend their complaint, but

warned that he would dismiss the case again unless the plaintiffs " could

file a legally proper complaint and come forward with sufficient evidence to

proceed. "

Background from APA:

ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavior disorder of childhood. It

affects an estimated 3 to 5 percent of school-age children, 75 percent of

them boys. An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough evaluation of the

child's developmental, social, academic, family and medical history.

Medication should be used only as part of a comprehensive treatment plan

that also includes psychotherapy, behavioral treatment, and community-based

support of teachers and guidance counselors.

The American Psychiatric Association, based in Washington, D.C., was

founded in 1844 and is the nation's oldest medical society. It has more than

38,000 members around the world who specialize in the diagnosis and

treatment of mental and emotional illnesses and substance use disorders.

An integral part of APA's mission is the publication of the Diagnostic

and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. First published in 1952 and

periodically revised, the manual provides comprehensive descriptions and

classifications of mental disorders. Its diagnostic criteria have been

extensively tested for validity and reliability in field trials supported by

the National Institute of Mental Health. The manual also reflects the

participation of numerous international health organizations, including the

World Health Organization, prominent medical and scientific associations

(including the AMA and the National Academy of Sciences), and public and

private universities.

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