TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxicological status of children with autism vs. neurotypical children and the association with autism severity
AU - Adams, James
AU - Audhya, Tapan
AU - McDonough-Means, Sharon
AU - Rubin, Robert A.
AU - Quig, David
AU - Geis, Elizabeth
AU - Gehn, Eva
AU - Loresto, Melissa
AU - Mitchell, Jessica
AU - Atwood, Sharon
AU - Barnhouse, Suzanne
AU - Lee, Wondra
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Autism Research Institute and the Legacy Foundation.
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - This study investigates both the level of toxic metals in children with autism and the possible association of those toxic metals with autism severity. This study involved 55 children with autism ages 5-16 years compared to 44 controls with similar age and gender. The study included measurements of toxic metals in whole blood, red blood cells (RBC), and urine. The autism group had higher levels of lead in RBC (+41 %, p = 0.002) and higher urinary levels of lead (+74 %, p = 0.02), thallium (+77 %, p = 0.0001), tin (+115 %, p = 0.01), and tungsten (+44 %, p = 0.00005). However, the autism group had slightly lower levels of cadmium in whole blood (-19 %, p = 0.003). A stepwise, multiple linear regression analysis found a strong association of levels of toxic metals with variation in the degree of severity of autism for all the severity scales (adjusted R 2 of 0.38-0.47, p < 0.0003). Cadmium (whole blood) and mercury (whole blood and RBC) were the most consistently significant variables. Overall, children with autism have higher average levels of several toxic metals, and levels of several toxic metals are strongly associated with variations in the severity of autism for all three of the autism severity scales investigated.
AB - This study investigates both the level of toxic metals in children with autism and the possible association of those toxic metals with autism severity. This study involved 55 children with autism ages 5-16 years compared to 44 controls with similar age and gender. The study included measurements of toxic metals in whole blood, red blood cells (RBC), and urine. The autism group had higher levels of lead in RBC (+41 %, p = 0.002) and higher urinary levels of lead (+74 %, p = 0.02), thallium (+77 %, p = 0.0001), tin (+115 %, p = 0.01), and tungsten (+44 %, p = 0.00005). However, the autism group had slightly lower levels of cadmium in whole blood (-19 %, p = 0.003). A stepwise, multiple linear regression analysis found a strong association of levels of toxic metals with variation in the degree of severity of autism for all the severity scales (adjusted R 2 of 0.38-0.47, p < 0.0003). Cadmium (whole blood) and mercury (whole blood and RBC) were the most consistently significant variables. Overall, children with autism have higher average levels of several toxic metals, and levels of several toxic metals are strongly associated with variations in the severity of autism for all three of the autism severity scales investigated.
KW - Autism
KW - Lead
KW - Mercury
KW - Thallium
KW - Toxic metals
KW - Tungsten
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U2 - 10.1007/s12011-012-9551-1
DO - 10.1007/s12011-012-9551-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 23192845
AN - SCOPUS:84879718726
SN - 0163-4984
VL - 151
SP - 171
EP - 180
JO - Biological Trace Element Research
JF - Biological Trace Element Research
IS - 2
ER -