Autism: A form of lead and mercury toxicity |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychiatry, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung Jen-Ai''s Home, Taiwan;2. WinShine Clinics in Specialty of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;3. Prospect Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology & Neurology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;4. Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;5. Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King''s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK;6. Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK;7. ESPA Research, 2A Hylton Park Rd, Sunderland SR5 3HD, UK;8. Translational Psychiatry Research Group and Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil;9. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;10. Department of Addiction Science, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;11. Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan;12. Department of Adult Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;13. Department of Psychiatry, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tainan, Taiwan;14. Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;15. Center for Geriatric and Gerontology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;p. Department of Pediatrics, DA-AN Women and Children Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan;q. Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan;r. Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;s. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;t. Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;u. Institute for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
AimAutism is a developmental disability characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication. The definite cause of autism is still unknown. The aim of this study is to find out the relation between exposure to Lead and/or mercury as heavy metals and autistic symptoms, dealing with the heavy metals with chelating agents can improve the autististic symptoms.MethodBlood and hair samples were obtained from 45 children from Upper Egypt with autism between the ages of 2 and 10 years and 45 children served as controls in the same age range, after taken an informed consent and fill a questionnaire to assess the risk factors. The samples were analyzed blindly for lead and mercury by using atomic absorption and ICP-MS. Data from the two groups were compared, then follow up of the autistic children after treatment with chelating agents were done.ResultsThe results obtained showed significant difference among the two groups, there was high level of mercury and lead among those kids with autism. Significant decline in the blood level of lead and mercury with the use of DMSA as a chelating agent. In addition, there was decline in the autistic symptoms with the decrease in the lead and mercury level in blood.ConclusionLead and mercury considered as one of the main causes of autism. Environmental exposure as well as defect in heavy metal metabolism is responsible for the high level of heavy metals. Detoxification by chelating agents had great role in improvement of those kids. |
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| Keywords: | Autism Heavy metals Autistic symptoms Chelating agents |
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