TY - JOUR
T1 - Mercury, lead, and zinc in baby teeth of children with autism versus controls
AU - Adams, James
AU - Romdalvik, Jane
AU - Ramanujam, V. M Sadagopa
AU - Legator, Marvin S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Received 19 June 2006; accepted 13 November 2006. We thank the Autism Research Institute, directed by Bernard Rimland, PhD, for funding this research. We thank the children and their families for participating. We thank Vas Aposhian, Jon Pangborn, and Boyd Haley for helpful comments. Address correspondence to James B. Adams, Arizona State University, PO Box 876006, USA. E-mail: jim.adams@asu.edu and Escherichia coli carry out the reverse reaction, namely, the methylation of inorganic mercury to methylmercury. (Rowland et al., 1975) Thus, high oral antibiotic use would result in a loss of normal gut flora and an increase in yeast and E. coli, resulting in a loss of ability to demethylate methylmercury and enhanced methylation of inorganic mercury, resulting in decreased excretion and increased uptake of mercury. This hypothesis is supported by a recent study by Rosseneu et al. (2003) that found that 94% of 80 children with regressive autism and chronic constipation/diarrhea had approximately 10,000 times the normal level of E. coli in their stool.
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - This study determined the level of mercury, lead, and zinc in baby teeth of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 15, age 6.1 ± 2.2 yr) and typically developing children (n = 11, age = 7 ± 1.7 yr). Children with autism had significantly (2.1-fold) higher levels of mercury but similar levels of lead and similar levels of zinc. Children with autism also had significantly higher usage of oral antibiotics during their first 12 mo of life, and possibly higher usage of oral antibiotics during their first 36 mo of life. Baby teeth are a good measure of cumulative exposure to toxic metals during fetal development and early infancy, so this study suggests that children with autism had a higher body burden of mercury during fetal/infant development. Antibiotic use is known to almost completely inhibit excretion of mercury in rats due to alteration of gut flora. Thus, higher use of oral antiobiotics in the children with autism may have reduced their ability to excrete mercury, and hence may partially explain the higher level in baby teeth. Higher usage of oral antibiotics in infancy may also partially explain the high incidence of chronic gastrointestinal problems in individuals with autism.
AB - This study determined the level of mercury, lead, and zinc in baby teeth of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 15, age 6.1 ± 2.2 yr) and typically developing children (n = 11, age = 7 ± 1.7 yr). Children with autism had significantly (2.1-fold) higher levels of mercury but similar levels of lead and similar levels of zinc. Children with autism also had significantly higher usage of oral antibiotics during their first 12 mo of life, and possibly higher usage of oral antibiotics during their first 36 mo of life. Baby teeth are a good measure of cumulative exposure to toxic metals during fetal development and early infancy, so this study suggests that children with autism had a higher body burden of mercury during fetal/infant development. Antibiotic use is known to almost completely inhibit excretion of mercury in rats due to alteration of gut flora. Thus, higher use of oral antiobiotics in the children with autism may have reduced their ability to excrete mercury, and hence may partially explain the higher level in baby teeth. Higher usage of oral antibiotics in infancy may also partially explain the high incidence of chronic gastrointestinal problems in individuals with autism.
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U2 - 10.1080/15287390601172080
DO - 10.1080/15287390601172080
M3 - Article
C2 - 17497416
AN - SCOPUS:34248580747
SN - 1528-7394
VL - 70
SP - 1046
EP - 1051
JO - Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A: Current Issues
JF - Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A: Current Issues
IS - 12
ER -