In a study published in May, lead investigator Dr. Jill James found parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have similar metabolic imbalances previously documented in ASD children. The study was conducted by the University of Arkansas and is available on-line ahead of publication.

In her previous studies of children with ASD, Dr. James found that cellular methylation occurred 50% less in ASD children, than that of age matched control children (James et al, 2006). DNA synthesis and the associated methionine methylation cycle are critical processes necessary for the production of cellular energy and survival. Inhibition of the methylation process has been associated with a decrease in glutathione (an antioxidant produced in all cells and primarily by the liver), increased oxidative stress and tissue damage and a reduction of the body's ability to detoxify (Ueha-Ishibashi et al, 2004; Waly et al, 2004). The resulting DNA hypomethylation and glutathione deficit can lead to higher vulnerability to alterations in gene expression from toxic exposures such as mercury. Glutathione deficits also contribute to immune dysfunction and impairment of cellular redox homeostasis in the methionine metabolism associated with DNA synthesis.

Impairment of these processes (DNA synthesis, methionine methylation and redox/detoxification capacity) due to gene-environment interactions and associated with DNA hypomethylation, is highly suggestive of an epigenetic component - and likely environmental trigger - in the development of autism. Additionally, the impairment of methylation and glutathione depletion in studies investigating these epigenetic modifications to DNA, as they pertain to heavy metals (mercury and lead) and vaccine components (ethylmercury, thimerosal, aluminum), found toxic exposures to be associated with metabolic abnormalities seen in autistic children (James et al, 2004 & 2006; Ueha-Ishibashi et al, 2004; Waly et al, 2004).

This most recent study from Dr. James found significant similarities in these same metabolic biomarkers in parents of children with autism, suggesting that parents share a common metabolic phenotype with a consistent underlying genetic susceptibility with their ASD children (reported by James et al, 2006). Data used in this study did not ascertain whether the metabolic abnormalities occurred as a result of dietary deficiencies, chronic stress and anxiety or toxic exposures and/or were present as a prenatal risk factor. However, is it generally accepted that these values tend to remain the same during childbearing years pre and post-natally (Cuco et al, 2006; Walker et al, 1999; Ono et al 2001).

A striking 54% of case mothers (mothers with an ASD child) had elevated SAH* levels or a decreased SAM/SAH** ratio and were 7.3 to 10.7 more likely to be the mother of an ASD child, while case mothers with decreased GSH/GSSG*** ratios had a 15.2 fold increase in the likelihood of being a mother of an ASD child. Furthermore, 41% of case mothers with decreases of both SAM/SAH and GSH/GSSG ratios had a dramatic 46 fold increase in the likelihood of being a mother of an ASD child. The health implications of these abnormal levels have previously been established as risk factors for heart disease, autoimmune disease, structural birth defects and neurodegenerative disease benefiting from nutritional supplementation with B vitamins, which are often used in the biomedical treatment of autism.

While the study was small and must be replicated to confirm its findings, it demonstrates a significant metabolic imbalance is shared between parents and ASD children and possibly identifies a heritable metabolic phenotype. Such phenotype identification would provide gene candidates indicating a possible epigenetic predisposition to autism, as well as possible prenatal intervention strategies to normalize maternal metabolic imbalances to prevent placental transfer to unborn children. It could also show why some individuals are more vulnerable to toxic and viral insults that might not affect the majority, and why this vulnerability might run in families.

*SAM: S-adensylmethionine, is a coenzyme involved in methyl group transfers; it is needed for cell growth and repair of cellular proteins and is used in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin.

*SAH: S-adenosylhomocysteine, is an amino acid derivative formed when SAM is demethylated. High levels of SAH can be toxic to cells. Vitamin B6, B12, folate, and choline help to regulate the cycle in which SAM is converted to SAH and SAH back to SAM.

**SAM/SAH Ratio: Lower SAM and higher SAH leads to decreased methylation of critical cellular components including proteins, DNA, RNA, and phospholipids. Growth Factor (IGF) can increase the SAM/SAH ratio.

*** GSH/GSSG Ratio: Reduced Glutathione/Inactive Oxidized Glutathione; this ratio denotes the body's ability to detoxify. A lower ratio (i.e., higher GSSG) is an indication of the present of oxidative stress.

Shortsighted Legislation

Imagine a country that decided it was a good idea to put a highly toxic element in very fragile containers and encourage all its citizens to keep these containers in every room in their homes. Imagine that most of the people didn't know the containers held a toxin or that the containers were potentially dangerous. Then, imagine that the leaders of that country decided that these containers were so great that they would make it against the law for its citizens not to use them.

This is not your imagination. This is the situation with compact fluorescent light bulbs in the United States in 2008.

SafeMinds' Environmental Committee is working to stop the unsafe proliferation of fluorescent light bulbs because of the significant mercury contamination hazard that they pose in homes and because of the current lack of effective recycling programs. With the advent of global warming, there has been a major push, including free give-aways, to get consumers to purchase and use compact fluorescent bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs due to their greater energy efficiency. Unfortunately, our government has given little thought to the long-term consequences of this action in terms of increasing mercury exposure in homes and landfills. Many Americans are not even aware of the fact that there is mercury in fluorescent bulbs. Nor are they aware that these bulbs must be recycled properly.

Legislation that would outlaw incandescent lighting is currently packaged within the larger House energy bill. For a discussion of some of the issues related to this change, please see this video of Representative Ted Poe of Texas speaking before the House.

"It's A Small Amount"

One argument that is often made about compact fluorescents is that they only contain a "small amount of mercury". Current CFLs typically contain less than 5mg (not mcg) of mercury. Some contain as "little" as half of that or 2.5 mg. Let's put that number in perspective:

There are 1000 mg in a gram so 400 CFLs contain a gram of mercury. A gram of mercury (about 1/70th of a teaspoon because mercury is very heavy) is enough, if vaporized, to contaminate a 20-acre lake for a year to the point where the fish are unsafe to eat. Now consider the fact that in 2007 the EPA estimates that 380 million CFLs were sold. Those bulbs contained enough mercury to make 950,000 lakes toxic! This is by no means a "small" amount of environmental mercury.

Now let's look at the "small" amount of mercury in a single compact fluorescent assuming that it just broke in your home. Again, we take a CFL containing 2.5mg of mercury but this time we convert it to nanograms, which are billionths of a gram. 2.5mg= 2,500,000 nanograms of mercury.

A typical 12'x14' room with an 8' ceiling contains 38 cubic meters of air. If you divide these numbers you get an air concentration of 65,789 nanograms of mercury per cubic meter of air. For argument's sake, let's assume that only a 10th of the mercury in that CFL actually vaporized (which is conservative based on the published data), so now you are down to 6,579 nanograms per cubic meter of air. Next, let's look at some of the safety reference ranges that the government has established:

300 nanograms per cubic meter of air - this is the Environmental Protection Agency's reference concentration for chronic occupational exposure to mercury vapor in adult males.

200 nanograms per cubic meter of air - this is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Minimal Risk Level for chronic exposure in adult males. They have also established a re-occupancy level of 1000ng/cubic meter; this is the level at which it is safe for people to re-enter a building that has been contaminated with mercury.

Both of these reference ranges have safety factors of 30 built into them. One single CFL, when broken, produces an air concentration of mercury roughly equivalent to the level that is known to cause neurological effects in adults

90 nanograms per cubic meter of air - this is California's Reference Exposure Level to prevent mercury damage to the developing brain based on animal studies. In our conservative example a broken CFL exceeds this reference range by 73 times!

Obviously, the amount of mercury in the air will dissipate over time, but this assumes that the homeowner knows that there is mercury in the CFL and cleans up and ventilates appropriately. At SafeMinds, we would rather be cautious and consider the "what if" scenarios:

"What if the homeowner is a pregnant woman?"
"What if the bulb breaks in a toddler's bedroom - or a daycare?"
"What if someone drops a multi-pack of bulbs?"
"What if the room has no windows to ventilate through?
"What if the broken bulb gets left in the trash can for a week?
"What if the homeowner doesn't have a clue that they have a neurotoxin on the floor?"

Even a "small amount" of mercury should not be taken lightly.

To be continued: Look for "Recycling and Cleaning Up" in a future e-newsletter.

A special report from UMDNJ Magazine, Spring/Summer 2008.

Moving quickly is a crucial factor when a child is diagnosed with autism. Perceived until recently as a gargantuan and immovable lock on the brain, this diagnosis now raises a slew of questions, possibilities and windows for change - and maybe even prevention - that can't be ignored. With no cure on the horizon, a new approach - not unlike the drug "cocktails" used to keep HIV/AIDS patients alive and ticking for decades - relies on combining many different therapies, including some that are very new, and is bringing additional hope for a better life to those with autism.

Tackling the Medical Issues, One by One

Certainly a major aspect of this sea change in outlook is the recognition that many children with autism have specific medical issues that seriously impact their everyday lives and abilities. While no one yet fully comprehends why these medical problems are so prevalent, oftentimes they are treatable, and when treatment is successful, can make a world of difference.

Xue Ming, MD, an associate professor of neurosciences and pediatrics, conducts research in autism and provides hands-on care for more than 600 children with this diagnosis at The Autism Center of NJ at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. In her practice, she sees many children suffering from sleep problems, as well as gastrointestinal reflux, bloating, and intolerance to various foods. Autonomic dysfunction - a disorder producing increased blood pressure and heart rate, among other symptoms - is another concern and psychological issues such as anxiety, depression and rage attacks are not uncommon in these children.

"Many of these symptoms are interconnected. Aggressive behavior and lack of sleep, for instance, are often related," Ming comments. She enrolled 32 children with autism in a sleep study - quite a challenge since spending two nights in a sleep lab is clearly not a possibility for many of them. "Some couldn't tolerate it," she says, so the actual number who completed the study turned out to be 23. A sleep technician and a parent were present at all times. What she confirmed was an increased rate of parasomnias (14 out of 23 with autism were affected, compared with 1 out of 23 in the healthy group), with such symptoms as night terrors, confusion on waking and bed-wetting. "We also found an increase in apnea and abnormalities in sleep structure," she explains. "In many of these kids, the sleep disorders are exacerbated by medications."

Click here to watch extended video report.

Anchor Lead: It's the controversy that won't go away. Is the skyrocketing rate of Autism in children due in any way to the mercury long contained in childhood vaccines? It's an issue our chief investigative reporter Steve Wilson has stayed with from the start, and Steve will science ever answer this one?

It could happen one day but only if researchers keep looking -- and with 1 in 150 children now diagnosed with Autism in this country-more than 100 new, young victims every single day-a lot of skeptical parents and others believe there's a big incentive for industry and government to cover up the truth.

Dr. Renee Jenkins, M.D./Pediatrician: I don't think anybody is saying you want to inject mercury. (Wilson) Why would I do it? Why would I allow it to happen? (Jenkins) Well, for routine vaccinations, we don't allow it to happen."

A loving grandmother and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Renee Jenkins is among those in medicine, in government, in the media, pretty much telling parents this problem's been solved, there is no mercury in the routine schedule of childhood vaccines anymore, except maybe just "trace" amounts. She's talking about a mercury-based vaccine preservative called Thimerosal, and the truth is there's still as much as ever in 11 vaccines including most flu vaccines injected into pregnant women and kids, and some of them younger than 9 get two doses in a season. And also high levels of mercury from Thimerosal in tetanus shots and the boosters routinely injected into 11-year-olds and also in some meningitis and diphtheria-tetanus formulas, too.

Heidi Scheer/Mother of Autistic Child: and I know for a fact people that have gone to their physician and have been told there was no Thimerosal in their vaccine, then the parents asked to see the package insert and they find it there.

Mrs. Michigan joined parents of other autistic children marching on Washington just recently not only to alert new parents but to point out the half-million children already stricken, they believe by the large doses of mercury they got in the increasing number of vaccines the government and their doctors recommended.

A congressional committee that studied the matter has already concluded: "Thimerosal is directly related to the Autism epidemic."

It could have been prevented or curtailed "had the FDA not been asleep at the switch" allowing the untested toxic to be part of the vaccine recipe, something the committee report blamed on "misplaced protectionism of the pharmaceutical industry."

Presidential candidate John McCain says now there's "strong evidence" of a link between skyrocketing Autism and the mercury in vaccines. Boyd Haley is a scientist and pioneer in the study of this issue.

Dr. Boyd Haley/Researcher: And I want to talk to a lot of the journalists here because you're a big part of the problem. Most of you (crowd cheering) you've allowed the CDC to hijack what's perceived as the science of Autism. There hasn't been one publication ever published where Thimerosal was tested against a living cell, a living animal, where it wasn't found to be severely toxic, psydotoxic and neurotoxic, and yet you can go in there and they'll tell you 'Oh we know it's not connected.' Why don't you go read the papers?

Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders and ARI Provide Ongoing Registration to Advance ASD Research

The Autism Research Institute is working closely with scientists and clinicians throughout the country in an effort to find effective treatments for this devastating disorder. According to these experts, limited availability of tissue from children who suffer with autism is hampering research, because without actual tissue it is difficult to determine the basic biological defects responsible for this disorder. This need has prompted ARI to enter into a partnership with the Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders at the University of Maryland, under contract to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), to support tissue donations.

Anyone Can Be a Donor

Anyone, regardless of age, is invited to register as a tissue donor. The tissue bank is as much in need of control tissue as tissue from those with autism. Tissue must be recovered within 24 hours, because after this time the tissue has lost most of its usefulness for research purposes. Therefore, advance registration is important in that it enables the intricate process of tissue recovery to occur in a timely manner.

Even if a person is not registered in advance, tissue donation may still be possible by calling the toll free number below.

To register: call 1-800-847-1539 or 1-410-706-1755 (from outside the continental U.S.) to request a packet or discuss any questions or concerns relating to tissue donation.

How to help spread the word:

* Forward this information
* Print brochure (pdf)
* Request brochures by e-mailing nancale@aol.com

Contact the NICHD Tissue Bank:
University of Maryland
Department of Pediatrics
655 West Baltimore St., 13-013 BRD
Baltimore, MD. 21201-1559
Toll free 800-847-1539
Ph. 410-706-1755
Fx. 410-706-0038

Julie Gerderding's recent admission that much of the CDC's research exonerating vaccines as a trigger for autism was both shoddily done and politically compromised. It felt like a bittersweet victory. The selection bias errors are numerous and egregious. But I didn't need Dr. Gerberding to admit the obvious in order to know that the CDC endangered my son and an entire generation of children. Like so many other families, we lived the nightmare after Christian received 7 vaccines in one day, initiating the mental and physical deterioration of my child that became autism.

It astounds me that Gerberding has not resigned. But then so much astounds me, such as the AAP's recent publication on how to "handle" vaccine adverse parents. I had high hopes after speaking with Dr. Louis Cooper from the AAP at the DAN! Conference. Not only did Dr. Cooper show up and listen to parents, he attended numerous lectures and workshops. What happened? The AAP "parent handling" imitative is both condescending and ridiculous. The days when parents unquestionably accepted whatever their pediatrician says are over, especially when they have been wrong about so much and have ignored the needs of our children for decades. Threatening to "fire" families from a practice or telling them that they are endangering other children is not an effective way to go. The fact that the AAP comes out with this guide right as the CDC admits so many of their vaccine safety studies are compromised is bizarre. These are the people we are supposed to trust with our children's health? Who do they think they are kidding?

We need an autism enlightenment movement, which can move this discussion beyond the flat earth, or scorch earthed policies of the CDC and the AAP. We need more AAP doctors, CDC researchers and AS scientist to come to AutismOne, DAN!, the NAA conference and hear from these parents, meet our children and learn from their stories of hope and recovery. I am so tired of hearing the same old autism careerists put forth the same stale information in the safest of safe environments, where their travel and lodging has been paid for by someone else, lecture more careerists about the "autism is genetic" groupthink agenda. And if they only had $10 million more they would be able to find 2 more genes out of the 1,000 thousand that compromise autism. Enough! None of that has helped one child with autism.

That's right, go ahead and buy something for yourself -- a new CD, the latest bestseller, everyday essentials like pet food or vitamins, even a computer. But first join www.iGive.com/SafeMinds.

Every time you shop at one of the over 680 name-brand stores in the iGive.com Mall, we'll receive a donation of up to 26% of each purchase you make, at no cost to you.

Remember, donating to SafeMinds won't cost you a thing. But we'll miss out on a lot of extra dough, if you don't join. So visit www.iGive.com/SafeMinds now. Membership is free and your privacy is guaranteed.

Click here to join.

Support SafeMinds today. Every donation makes an impact. Click here to make a donation.

The Age of Autism is the nation's first daily Web newspaper for the environmental-biomedical community - those who believe autism is an environmentally induced illness, that it is treatable, and that children can recover. For the most part, the major media in the United States aren't interested in that point of view, they won't investigate the causes and possible biomedical treatments of autism independently, and they don't listen to the most important voices - those of the parents. Visit the website at www.ageofautism.com.