Rare genetic hot spot is linked to autism

[unhappycamper]

Rare genetic hot spot is linked to autism
By Carey Goldberg
Globe Staff / January 10, 2008

Boston-based autism researchers have pinpointed a genetic hot spot where DNA errors appear to increase a child's chances of developing autism one-hundred-fold.
more stories like this

The discovery, reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday, stems from the most extensive genome scanning for autism done so far. The scans found that in just over 1 percent of people with autism, a chunk of about 25 genes had been either duplicated or deleted, mainly in spontaneous mutations not carried by their parents.

Some researchers believe that such errors help explain how autism can often crop up in families seemingly out of nowhere. Diagnoses of autism have skyrocketed in recent years, and the disorder now affects an estimated 1 in 150 American children.

"It's like having a recipe where you take some of the ingredients and use half as much or twice as much," said Dr. David T. Miller of Children's Hospital Boston. "It's going to change how the recipe turns out."

One percent may sound small, Miller said. But "it is significant in terms of getting another piece of the puzzle solved," he said, a puzzle that has largely stymied researchers even as parents have pleaded for answers and cures.


Rest of article at: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/01/10/rare_genetic_hot_spot_is_linked_to_autism/

[Demeter]

1. Thanks for Posting!

[TZ]

2. Not surprised at all

Because its known that things like Down's syndrome are linked to chromosomal aberrations. More and more evidence is mounting that autism is a genetic problem, and sounding more like a multiple gene problem. Its NOT vaccines and NOT dental fillings.

[rainy]

3. Why are the numbers rising so quickly?

[lightningandsnow]

4. Well, for one thing, the diagnostic criteria has expanded

People who have High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's, for the most part, would never have been recognized as autistic 30 years ago. Only the most severe cases were diagnosed - most other people with autistic spectrum disorders were just considered odd or eccentric. Also, people with more severe autistic disorders were often misdiagnosed as simply being "mentally retarded" - which is wrong, because even many "low-functioning" autistic people can be quite intelligent, it's just that not all of them have the means to communicate.

[LeftishBrit]

14. Good points!

Here is a link to Helen Heussler's letter to the British Medical Journal, which provides evidence that children who had other diagnoses or none in the 1970s would be more likely to be diagnosed as 'autistic' nowadays.

www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7284/460

[philb]

5. Mom's who took RhoGam shots with high mercury for RHnegative also had 100 fold increase

in liklihood of autistic kid, according to the studies and clinical cases. As noted on other threads, the doctors treating the kids at autism treatment clinics find that most of the cases are related to high mercury/metals toxicity and the kids signif. improve after detox treatment and dealing with the metabolic blockages caused by the toxic overload.

www.flcv.com/kidshg.html

The medical literature also notes that there are genetic susceptiblity factors that make some more likely to be affected by the vaccines and toxic exposures than others. Factors such as autoimmunity to mercury(or etc.) and inability to excrete mercury (resulting in accumulation in brain and other organs) are such susceptibility factors. Those with blood allele type APOE-4 for example have been found to not be able to excrete mercury readily and highly likely to accumulate mercury and toxic metals, and get things like autism, ADHD, etc. Similar for adults regarding MS, Lupus, Alzehimer's, etc.

www.flcv.com/suscept.html

This may be another of those susceptability factors.

[Tumbulu]

6. Why do you keep citing mercury in vaccines when it has not been in them for years?

I am wondering why I keep reading about mercury.

Also, I have read that the most vaccinated children in the world are in Cuba. Do you have any information about autism in Cuba?

[philb]

7. Rhogam shots have nothing to do with vaccines

But they have had high levels of mercury and both the mom's and their born infants have a history of high adverse effects from them.

I don't have any info on Cuba, but I think according to WHO their health system ranks higher than the U.S. on many measures of effectiveness, so maybe they know enough to not put a lot of mercury in their vaccines. Mercury isn't necessary in vaccines, and something as toxic as mercury should never have been there. I don't understand how it was allowed or allowed to continue so long,
since mercury is the most toxic substance people commonly come in contact with and according to EPA and DOH along with the toxic metals lead and arsenic affect more people's health adversely than any other toxic.

The levels that kids got from just one vaccine were higher than the EPA/ASTDR health guidelines for adults, and the kids got dozens of those doses. Millions were adversely affected. I had reactions to vaccines and was treated for it.

[philb]

8. Since you bring up other countries, I see U.S. medicine ranks last on a recent study

France is Healthcare Leader, US Comes Dead Last: Study

By AFP

France is tops, and the United States dead last, in providing timely and effective healthcare to its citizens, according to a survey Tuesday of preventable deaths in 19 industrialized countries.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19036.htm


Perhaps the things I've been discussing and our organization deals with are a big part of the reason the U.S. ranks so poorly on lots of medical/health measures.

[chicagomd]

9. Perhaps

you are full of shit.

[TZ]

11. ......

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Best response evah....:applause:

[LeftishBrit]

16. Well, not stating a firm view, you understand...

but when people enthusiastically recommend colonic cleansings, one does wonder if there's a reason.

One alternative diagnosis, of course, is that they might have high bowel pressure as a result of where they keep their heads.

[LeftishBrit]

13. You may like to know...

that France is one of the relatively few Western Europaean countries where childhood immunizations are compulsory.

[trotsky]

15. Ooh boy I can hear philb's head spinning from here!

France = the best! But they vaccinate! They should all be dead from Lupus or cancer or dandruff by now, shouldn't they? AIEEE!

[TZ]

17. lol...Hey I found a picture...

On the internets of philb...

:rofl:

[TZ]

12. Most toxic substance commonly encountered?!

Boy another dumb statement. Sure are lots of people who have been around broken mercury thermometers, like me and are JUST fine! Or even played with liquid mercury. FYI,its now believed the dangers of mercury exposure is overstated.
There are much worse carcinogens in the environment which you seem to conveniently ignore.
Of course if you didn't scream about mercury all the time, you wouldn't have an income would you?

[lizerdbits]

10. To paraphrase someone else's great joke

philb is the Health Lounge's rambling homeless guy. Message board posts are the equivalent of scientific data for the people that post in that account. He's fun to watch though.