Thanks so much to all of you who participated in this UNC Grand Rounds Discussion Forum. There is still much to learn about the Autism Spectrum Disorders and this can only be accomplished with the work of many people and agencies. While this Forum ends today, we at CDC still welcome your questions and information. To contact us concerning research on the prevalence of the ASDs or risk factors, please see http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddautism.htm or email DDBinfo@cdc.gov. For questions or information on immunizations and autism, please see http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/autism.htm or email NIPinfo@cdc.gov. Thank you.
There are two different concerns related to autism and vaccines. The first concerns the MMR vaccine and autism. Several large studies have shown no increased risk of being diagnosed with autism following the MMR vaccination. Overall, the MMR vaccine appears to be a safe mechanism for preventing highly contagious diseases of childhood for most people. However, it is still unclear whether there are some individuals who have a unique susceptibility to the MMR vaccine. Studies looking at individual differences are needed and some are underway. For example, the CDC is in the process of completing a study looking at the distribution of the ages of first MMR vaccination among children with autism as compared to children without autism. This study will be looking at clinical subgroups of children with autism including those that showed evidence of regression in development. The results of the study are expected to be published by the end of the year. Other studies are also being designed and conducted to look at the risk for autism among clinical subgroups. For more information on this and other CDC research, please see the NIP page on CDC Autism Research Efforts at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/autism-res-cdc.htm
Studies have also been conducted to look at the potential relationship between thimerosal in vaccines and autism. (It should be noted that the MMR vaccine does not and never has contained the mercury containing preservative). Most recent studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism. While the findings in studies looking at thimerosal and autism have been negative, the FDA has withdrawn vaccines containing thimerosal due to the fact that children were potentially receiving an amount that exceeded the FDAÿffff92s standards for mercury exposure. Vaccines which previously contained thimerosal, such as DTP, Hepatitis B, and Hib, no longer contain the preservative.
See also the response below from the National Immunization Program (NIP).
Did the preliminary Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) study find that exposure to thimerosal within the first three months of life increases a child's risk of developing autism?
A statistically significant relationship between autism and thimerosal was not found in either the preliminary VSD study or the later, larger analysis. While a graph in the preliminary report does show an apparent elevation in risk for autism among children exposed to a certain level of thimerosal (> 62.5ug) by the third month of life, this risk was not statistically significant and was likely a chance fluctuation. In fact, later analyses of additional cases showed that a childÿffff92s exposure to thimerosal, either by three months of life or by seven months of life, did not increase his or her risk for developing autism. There was no suggestion of an increased risk for autism even among those children who were exposed to the highest levels of thimerosal by seven months of age (i.e., those receiving 162.5 ug, 175 ug, or more than 175 ug thimerosal by 7 months of age). These preliminary negative results from the VSD project, however, cannot be considered definitive since the study was not specifically designed to evaluate a complex condition such as autism. CDC is planning a more thorough investigation of thimerosal exposure through infant vaccines and risk of autism.
For more information, including contact information, the web address for the NIP autism and vaccines page is: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/default.htm#thimerosal
Vaccines may fuel autism epidemic
" One reason this isn't getting the attention it needs is that the Food and Drug Administration has very close ties
to the pharmaceutical companies, as does the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] and the Centers for Disease Control. . . In some cases it appears that it's a revolving door and people leave government health agencies and go to
work for the pharmaceuticals, which I think have undue influence on our health agencies." - Rep Dan Burton
" Neither the Wyeth nor Merck pharmaceutical companies, nor HHS or FDA, returned INSIGHT's calls about this matter."
[Readers might recognize that this news has been reported here weeks ago. While the new research has been extensively covered in the UK, it has been ignored by the US media -- until only just now. Source: Insight on the News.]
http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=39906075& ID=infobrix& scategory=Healthcare&
A new study indicates childhood vaccines containing a mercury- based
preservative may be the culprits behind the surge in autism cases sweeping
the United States. The mother of an autistic child wonders aloud when health
officials will wake up to the epidemic that has claimed not only her son but
hundreds of thousands of other children in the United States, with no end in
sight. She muses, " Maybe someday this will be as important as SARS and we'll
get the same attention. God knows we need it."
Autism is a severely incapacitating developmental disability for
which there is no known cure. According to a recently released report by the
California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) entitled Autistic
Spectrum Disorders, Changes in the California Caseload: 1999-2002, the rate
of children diagnosed with full- syndrome autism in the Golden State between
1999 and 2002 nearly doubled from 10,360 to 20,377. The report further
revealed that " between Dec. 31, 1987, and Dec. 31, 2002, the population of
persons with full-syndrome autism has increased by 634 percent." That is a
doubling of autism cases every four years, and the staggering increases are
not limited to California.
Shots in the dark? Infants are being inoculated with vaccines
containing toxic ingredients that can be harmful - or fatal.
According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Education, the
increased autism rate in California is in line with the increases other
states are experiencing. For example, in 1992 Ohio reported 22 cases. A
decade later the number had increased by 13,895 percent to 3,057. In
Illinois the rate of autism cases climbed from just five in 1992 to 3,802 -
an increase of 76,040 percent. Mississippi, New Hampshire and the District
of Columbia reported no cases of autism in 1992, but by 2002 the number of
cases reported were 461, 404 and 144, respectively. Only Puerto Rico can
claim to have an increase of less than 100 percent, with the remaining
states reporting increases of at least 500 percent during the same period.
Although once considered rare, during the last two decades the chance
of a child being diagnosed with autism has skyrocketed from one in 10,000 to
one in 150. In California, full-syndrome autism now is the No. 1 disability
among children and more prevalent than childhood cancer, diabetes and Down's
syndrome. It is estimated that within the next four years autism cases in
the Golden State will exceed the total number of cases of both cerebral
palsy and epilepsy. To get a better idea of how quickly the epidemic is
spreading one need only consider that in 1987 there were 2,778 persons with
autism in California. By 2002 the number had increased to 20,377, and in
2002 3,575 new cases had been added to the rolls, far exceeding the total
number of cases in the state 15 years earlier.
For years there has been a debate about the cause or causes of
autism, but the vast majority of finger-pointing has been directed at
childhood vaccines as the culprit. And considering what is put into the
vaccines injected into hours-old infants, it is easy to understand why they
are at the top of the list of suspects: formaldehyde (used in embalming),
thimerosal (nearly 50 percent mercury), aluminum phosphate (toxic and
carcinogenic), antibiotics, phenols (corrosive to skin and toxic), aluminum
salts (corrosive to tissue and neuro-toxic), methanol (toxic), isopropyl
(toxic), 2- pheoxyethanol (toxic), live viruses and a host of unknown
components considered off-limits as trade secrets. These are just part of
the vaccine mixture.
For those who believe there are elements in vaccines that may be
responsible for the increased number of autism cases and other neurological
disorders, thimerosal currently is at the top of the list of possible
culprits being investigated.
Despite official insistence that the evidence linking injected
thimerosal to autism is inconclusive, the data suggest otherwise. In 1999
the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) must have
thought there was something seriously wrong when it supported removal of
thimerosal from vaccines, stating that it was " a prudent measure in support
of the public goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as
much as possible." The IOM further urged that " full consideration be given
to removing thimerosal from any biological product to which infants,
children and pregnant women are exposed."
A recently published study in the Journal of American Physicians and
Surgeons by Mark Geier, M.D., Ph.D., and president of the Genetic Centers of
America and his son, David Geier, president of Medcon Inc. and a consultant
on vaccine cases, was titled " Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines,
Neurodevelopment Disorders and Heart Disease in the United States." It
presents strong epidemiological evidence for a link between
neurodevelopmental disorders and mercury exposure from thimerosal-containing
childhood vaccines.
Specifically, the authors evaluated the doses of mercury that
children received as part of their immunization schedule, then compared
these doses with federal safety guidelines. Furthermore, to compare the
effects of thimerosal in vaccine recipients, the incident rates of
neurodevelopmental disorders and heart disease reported to the government's
Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System were analyzed. The results were
dramatic. The report revealed that " U.S. infants are exposed to mercury
levels from their childhood- immunization schedule that far exceed the EPA
[Environmental Protection Agency] and FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-
established maximum permissible levels for the daily oral ingestion of
methyl mercury."
The authors concluded that " in light of voluminous literature
supporting the biologic mechanisms for mercury-induced adverse reactions,
the presence of amounts of mercury in thimerosal- containing childhood
vaccines exceeding federal safety guidelines for the oral ingestion of
mercury and previous epidemiological studies showing adverse reactions to
such vaccines, a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing childhood
vaccines and neurodevelopment disorders and heart disease appears to be
confirmed."
Smoking gun: The Geiers' research presents evidence for a link
between neurodevelopmental disorders and vaccines containing thimerosal.
It is no secret among government and health officials that mercury is
toxic and causes serious adverse reactions. In July 1999 the American
Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint
statement calling for the removal of thimerosal from vaccines. Five years
after the joint statement, however, it still is difficult for parents and
physicians to be sure that the pharmaceutical companies have indeed removed
the toxic substance from their vaccines.
According to Mark Geier, " The 2003 Physicians' Desk Reference [PDR]
still shows childhood vaccines containing thimerosal, including diphtheria,
tetanus and acellular pertussis. DTaP, manufactured by Aventis Pasteur,
contains 25[mu]g [25 micrograms] of mercury, Hemophilus influenzae b (Hib)
vaccine manufactured by Wyeth contains 25[mu]g of mercury and pediatric
Hepatitis B vaccine, manufactured by Merck, contains 12.5[mu]g of mercury."
Geier continues, " In addition, the influenza vaccine that is
recommended for an increasing segment of the pediatric population in the
U.S. also contains 25[mu]g of mercury. Assuming that the labeling is
correct, it is possible that children in the U.S. in 2003 may be exposed to
levels of mercury from thimerosal contained in childhood vaccines that are
at higher levels than at any time in the past. Possible total childhood
mercury in 2003 is more than 300[mu]g."
Whether the " labeling is correct" is the question du jour. According
to Len Lavenda, a spokesman for Avenus Pasteur, the maker of DTaP, " Avenus
only sells the DTaP vaccine in the preservative- free formulation. The PDR
references both the single and multidose. However, when we received the
license for the preservative-free we ceased sales of the multidose vial. For
some reason, the package insert takes much longer to revise than one would
expect. I believe it is at the FDA waiting for approval, but the fact is we
do not sell or market that product. In March 2001 we stopped all sales of
that product in the preservative formulation. We did not recall the product
at that time because it was our belief that if we did children may go
unimmunized. It's been two years since anyone has been able to purchase the
preservative formulation from us."
Lavenda continues: " The package insert talks about both the single
and multidose vials and it says that the single-dose vial is
preservative-free, and that is all that is sold. The PDR is out- dated, but
parents don't have to worry about their children being administered 25[mu]g
of thimerosal. It just takes time to get the paperwork caught up. The
current package insert does not accurately reflect what is being marketed."
Geier is astounded by Lavenda's admission. " If this is true, they
should be in jail. They can't have an insert on a drug that is totally
wrong. It is against all regulations. If I'm a doctor and I'm giving you a
shot and the insert says such and such is in the shot, it had better be in
it. If doctors can't rely on the instructions that come with what we're
injecting then all bets a\re off. This is a far worse admission than
admitting that thimerosal is still in the vaccine. There are at least 15
laws that say the insert has to match what is in the product. This is
absolutely horrendous. In my entire career in medicine I have never heard of
a drug company claiming that what's in the insert and the accompanying
product don't match. This is total mislabeling and fraud by their own
admission. Legally they should be forced to close down because our clinical
decisions are based on their labeling."
Assuming that the package inserts are correct, Geier tells insight,
" The EPA limit is 0.1 micrograms of mercury per kilogram body weight per
day. It doesn't take a genius to do the calculations when on their day of
birth children are given the hepatitis B vaccine, which is 12.5 micrograms
of mercury. The average newborn weighs between 6 and 7 pounds, so they would
be allowed 0.3 micrograms of mercury but in this one shot they are getting
12.5 micrograms. That's 39 times more than allowed by law. And it gets worse
when you consider that children are getting multiple vaccinations at 2
months. And this limit is for oral ingestion and not injection, which is
much worse."
Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for The
United States According to the 2003 Physicians' Desk Reference Rhonda
Smith, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), tells INSIGHT that, except for mere traces, thimerosal has
been removed. " All routinely recommended licensed vaccines," says Smith,
" that are currently being manufactured for children in the U.S., except
influenza, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts - a concentration of
less than 0.0002 percent." But according to the 2003 immunization schedule
and the package inserts, there appear to be a number of childhood vaccines
that still contain mercury, including those for tetanus and diphtheria.
This scenario becomes even more bizarre when one further considers
that thimerosal is not a necessary component in vaccines. It first was
introduced by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. in the 1930s and is
added to vaccines only as a preservative - the theory being that multiple
doses are taken from the same bottle and that thimerosal will protect
against contamination. However, according to Geier, " the solution to any
such problem is to make vaccines available in a single dose, which will cost
the pharmaceuticals about one penny more. What is interesting is that if you
look up the mumps, measles, rubella [MMR] vaccines in the PDR you'll see
that they do not contain thimerosal because it would kill the live virus.
The MMR is available in multi-dose packaging and, yet, there is no
preservative nothing. What they did was put a label on it that says 'This
product does not contain preservatives. Handle with care.' It's that
simple."
Geier insists, " I'm pro-vaccines, but the bottom line is that our
kids are getting massive amounts of mercury. Mercury has been withdrawn from
everything, including animal vaccines, yet we keep injecting it into our
children. Everyone should absolutely refuse to take a vaccine shot that has
thimerosal in it, and they should insist on reading the vaccine package
insert. Our data showed that the more mercury children received in their
childhood vaccines the more neurodevelopment disorders there are. We've
looked at this every possible way and every time there's massive evidence to
support it."
Personal story: Rep. Burton, standing second from left, became an
advocate for victims of autism when his grandson became autistic after
receiving nine vaccines in one day.
So, if everyone acknowledges the toxicity of mercury and top U.S.
health officials have called for its removal, why is thimerosal still in
vaccines? " Maybe," concludes Geier, " the mercury isn't being taken out all
at once because if the pharmaceutical companies did that you would see an
unbelievable change in the rate of autism and there would be massive
lawsuits. If you look at the graphs now they go up and up. If you stop the
thimerosal all at once you'd see the numbers fall dramatically."
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), a longtime advocate for victims of autism,
has a grandson who became autistic after receiving nine vaccines in one day.
Burton recently sent his second request in as many years to the White House
asking for a conference of scientists, researchers and parents to look into
the causes of autism. The Indiana lawmaker tells INSIGHT, " There is no doubt
in my mind that the mercury in vaccines is a major contributing factor to a
growing number of neurological disorders among children, but in particular
autism."
Burton explains that " thimerosal is a toxic substance - mercury - and
should not be put in close proximity of people, should not be injected into
people, especially children who have a newly formed immune system that may
not be able to handle it. To my knowledge there never have been long-term
tests on thimerosal and we never should have used mercury in vaccines,
period. Now what we've got is an epidemic that is absolutely out of
control."
The Indiana congressman continues, " One reason this isn't getting the
attention it needs is that the Food and Drug Administration has very close
ties to the pharmaceutical companies, as does the Department of Health and
Human Services [HHS] and the Centers for Disease Control. I've said in the
past that in some cases it appears that it's a revolving door and people
leave government health agencies and go to work for the pharmaceuticals,
which I think have undue influence on our health agencies. Of course, they
may not want to look at this because there's a possibility that large claims
would be filed and the pharmaceutical companies would have to cough up the
money to take care of these kids who have been damaged."
Burton means business. He insists, " The FDA, CDC and HHS should put
out in a very public way the dangers of mercury, but as soon as they do it w
ill amount to an admission that their mercury is causing these problems. So
the reports that come out of the FDA, CDC and HHS use ambiguous terms. Well,
if they're not sure, and there's the remotest possibility that mercury in
vaccines could cause autism, they ought to get thimerosal off the market.
Too many kids are being ruined for life because of this stuff."
Barbara Loe Fisher is founder of the National Vaccine Information
Center, a charitable organization dedicated to the prevention of vaccine
injuries and deaths through public education. Fisher tells INSIGHT, " There
are many things in vaccines that could be causing these disorders, and
thimerosal is only part of the problem. In the last 20 years, we've gone
from giving children 23 doses of seven vaccines to 38 doses of 12 vaccines.
I think the mercury is part of it for some kids, though I'm not sure it's
the answer for all." But this is a no-brainer, says Fisher. " Mercury
shouldn't be in vaccines. They've taken it out of everything else so why not
the vaccines? The one thing that people really need to look at is the
dramatic rise in chronic disease and disabilities in our kids in just the
last two decades. You have to admit that there is something occurring that a
growing number of children cannot get through without being immune-system
and brain-system damaged. And what is the one thing that we expose every
child to? Those vaccines."
Fisher concludes, " I've always argued that public health is not
measured only by an absence of infectious disease. It also is measured by
the absence of chronic disease. By that score we get a big fat 'F.' So we
don't have measles and mumps, but look what we have now. It's just really
simple: Take the mercury out and let's see what happens."
Even so, based on the Aventis admission that the package insert does
not reflect what is in the vaccine, it will be difficult to know when, if
ever, the thimerosal actually has been removed. This skews the data about
the relationship between thimerosal and autism. More important, it means
parents cannot be sure the vaccinations their children receive are free of
mercury.
Neither the Wyeth nor Merck pharmaceutical companies, nor HHS or FDA,
returned INSIGHT's calls about this matter.
" The [vaccine] package insert does not accurately reflect what is
being marketed."
[Kelly Patricia O'meara Is An Investigative Reporter For Insight
Magazine.] Copyright Washington Times Corporation
Vaccine damaged children
are called the " acceptable risk"
by industry leaders.
As parents there is nothing ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING acceptable about the risk!
It's time to tell these leaders that we will
no longer allow this to continue
IT'S TIME TO ACT!
P.S. Has anyone studied why autism rise in Puerto Rico seems lower than in the states? What is the vaccination protocol in Puerto Rico? What is the parental rate of vaccination compliance there?
Subject: Re: This is not just about autism
Posted by: Mary Hirzel on 06/27/03
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: This is not just about posted by CDC DDBInfo on 06/27/03:
Thanks you for your response. I'm sure it is difficult to field such passionate questions with the amount of poise and courtesy that you are attempting.
HOWEVER, and with all due respect, if one of these was YOUR child, I'm sure you would view this in a different light.
Valuable years have been lost, and still the government is dragging it's feet, hoping we will just go away. Credible research has been buried or scoffed at. Professional reputations have been attacked. Date proving a statistically significant link between Thimerasol and neurological damage has been hidden even from the NIH. Ridiculous " reviews" of (selected) literature gets touted in the media as reason to " put parents' minds at ease" about suspected connections between vaccines and the adjuvants and neurological damage.
When two children suddenly died this past winter here in Ann Arbor, the CDC was all over the place, trying to solve the question of just what had happened to these INDIVIDUAL children.
Why do we not see the same response to our plight? Why are we told to look with hope to the National Children's Study, when, by your own description those results will come in about 21 years?????
Our INDIVIDUAL children deserve attention RIGHT NOW! I believe that, despite the CDC/NIH's assertions that there currently is " no evidence" linking this holocaust to vaccine damage, individual scientists and physicians in these agencies are aware that there is more than enough " anecdotal evidence" to be looking at the medical condition of these children more seriously.
This IS an epidemic, and genetics play about the same role in the disaster as a red-headed child's propensity to get sunburned.
I call on you all to recognize that you have a role to play in helping us and yourselves. The stakes are much higher than anyone's career or reputation.
Do the right thing; demand some answers youselves,
Mary
BL Fisher Note: At least someone is finally admitting that the federal government policy of recommending that babies get their first hepatitis B shot in the newborn nursery is to make up for deficiencies in the public health system they operate
Vaccination Graduates to an Older Crowd
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/health/01VACC.html
The future of vaccines, infectious disease experts say, is teenagers.
Parents are used to the idea of their babies getting up to 20 vaccinations by
age 2 to prevent polio, measles, chickenpox and other diseases transmitted by
coughing.
But pharmaceutical companies are inventing new vaccines against diseases usually
transmitted by sex, drug use, foreign travel or living in dormitories or
barracks. Half a dozen are now in the long and tangled medico-regulatory
pipeline between the petri dish and the pediatrician's syringe.
" Adolescent vaccines are the next wave," Dr. Michael D. Decker, vice president
for scientific affairs at the vaccine subsidiary of the Aventis pharmaceutical
giant said recently at a conference on immunization policy. " All the
manufacturers have them in the works."
[rest of article at]
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/health/01VACC.html
[comment: Infant vaccinations are not safe for every child. Many people believe
that vaccinations are implicated in many cases of Gulf War Syndrome. Thus the
next step is to create a new wave of vaccinations. Dare we suspect that the
really big money is not in the vaccinations themselves but in the ongoing
treatments for chronic problems caused by excessive vaccinations? Are overly
vaccinated people more politically compliant?]
My son who is autistic, was a premie and has had severe respiratory problems since infancy (respiratory distress syndrome, BPD, croup, reactive airway disease). On one chest Xray at approx age 18 months, the pulmonologist pointed out that he had an enlarged thymus gland. A CT confirmed it. He said that was unusual at his age, but that it was probably enlarged due to immune system being worked so hard with respiratory problems.
Looking back, could it have been related to any other taxing of the immune system (i.e. vaccines)?
If so, could a simple chest Xray showing an enlarged thymus
be another early sign that the immune system has been insulted? If nothing else, it could allow for even earlier intervention.
I have not jumped on the bandwagon blaming vaccines for autism, but with SO much exposure/ingestion of chemicals and metals in our society, it sure makes one wonder.
I'll have to be content allowing others to fight this one; I'm too busy working daily with my son!
Thanks so much for this forum.
Hi Cynthia,
You raise an interesting point related to whether an enlarged thymus gland could be an indication of a stressed immune system and might be used to identify children early for intervention. I am a pediatrician, but not an immunologist or pulmonoligist, however, but it is my understanding that the finding of an enlarged thymus is very non-specific; it may not be a good marker for autism. On the other hand, we can find out more about it and if it looks promising as a marker that could be related to autism, we can consider collecting data as part of our autism etiologic study that we are planning. We are very interested in examining immune functioning. Thanks so much for the thought.
Dear CDC representative:
I am delighted to read that you are very interested in examining the immune system connection to autism! PLEASE pursue this! There are too many studies indicating a connection, yet doctors tend to dismiss parental concerns in this area.
Thank you!
A major function of genomic methylation is that of silencing expression of
retroviral and parasitic genes that have become integrated into the human genome
(1-2). Bestor's reviews mention only several of the known genes whereby humans
can have impaired methylation on a genomic level. Vaccines that contain
retroviruses would seem a guaranteed way for iatrogenic illnesses among
individuals with suboptimal methylation status whether as a result of acquired
and/or genetic etiologies.
1: Hum Mol Genet. 2000 Oct;9(16):2395-402.
The DNA methyltransferases of mammals.
Bestor TH.
Department of Genetics and Development, College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Columbia University, 701 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
thb12@columbia.edu
The biological significance of 5-methylcytosine was in doubt for many years, but
is no longer. Through targeted mutagenesis in mice it has been learnt that every
protein shown by biochemical tests to be involved in the establishment,
maintenance or interpretation of genomic methylation patterns is encoded by an
essential gene. A human genetic disorder (ICF syndrome) has recently been shown
to be caused by mutations in the DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) gene. A
second human disorder (Rett syndrome) has been found to result from mutations in
the MECP2 gene, which encodes a protein that binds to methylated DNA. Global
genome demethylation caused by targeted mutations in the DNA methyltransferase-1
(Dnmt1) gene has shown that cytosine methylation plays essential roles in
X-inactivation, genomic imprinting and genome stabilization. The majority of
genomic 5-methylcytosine is now known to enforce the transcriptional silence of
the enormous burden of transposons and retroviruses that have accumulated in the
mammalian genome. It has also become clear that programmed changes in
methylation patterns are less important in the regulation of mammalian
development than was previously believed. Although a number of outstanding
questions have yet to be answered (one of these questions involves the nature of
the cues that designate sites for methylation at particular stages of
gametogenesis and early development), studies of DNA methyltransferases are
likely to provide further insights into the biological functions of genomic
methylation patterns.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 11005794 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
2: Novartis Found Symp. 1998;214:187-95; discussion 195-9, 228-32.
The host defence function of genomic methylation patterns.
Bestor TH.
Department of Genetics and Development, College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
It has long been held that reversible promoter methylation allows genes to be
expressed in the appropriate cell types during development. However, no
endogenous gene has been proven to be regulated in this way, and it does not
appear that significant numbers of promoters are methylated in non-expressing
tissues. It has recently become clear that the large majority of genomic
5-methylcytosine is actually in parasitic sequence elements (transposons and
endogenous retroviruses), and the primary function of DNA methylation now
appears to be defence against the large burden of parasitic sequence elements,
which constitute more than 35% of the human genome. Direct transcriptional
repression provides short-term control, and the tendency of 5-methylcytosine to
deaminate to thymidine drives irreversible inactivation. It is suggested that
intragenomic parasites are recognized by virtue of their high copy number, and
that the disturbances of methylation patterns commonly seen in human cancer
cells activate a host of parasitic sequence elements, which destabilize the
genome and tip the cell towards the transformed state.
3: J Rheumatol. 2002 Aug;29(8):1678-82.
Role of DNA methylation in transcription of human endogenous retrovirus in the
pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Okada M et al.
OBJECTIVE: We recently reported that transcription of human endogenous
retrovirus (HERV) clone 4-1-like sequences is increased in patients with
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We therefore investigated the role of DNA
methylation in the transcription of this HERV. METHODS: The effect of a
demethylating agent, 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza C), on the transcription of HERV
clone 4-1 in healthy individuals and patients with SLE was examined using
reverse transcriptase-PCR and real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: 5-aza C
increased clone 4-1-like messenger RNA in healthy controls, but not in patients
with SLE. CONCLUSION: Defects of methylation may contribute to the transcription
of HERV in patients with SLE and this may be related to the pathogenesis of SLE.
PMID: 12180729 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4: EXS. 1993;64:300-29.
DNA methylation and retrovirus expression.
Bednarik DP.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, May 2003 Journal Scan
From
Archives of General Psychiatry
May 2003 (Volume 60, Number 5)
Parent-Child Conflict and the Comorbidity Among Childhood Externalizing Disorders
Burt SA, Krueger RF, McGue M, Iacono W
Archives of General Psychiatry. 2003;60(5):505-513
The authors of this study used data from the Minnesota Twin Family Study (MTFS) to determine genetic and environmental factors associated with the development of externalizing disorders in youth exposed to parent-child conflicts. They entered parent-child conflict, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) into a multivariate biometrics model to define the role of conflict as part of a shared environmental factor common to ADHD, ODD, and CD.
Average age during the intake visit was 11 years. The cohort included 753 same sex, reared-together monozygotic and dizygotic twins (373 male pairs and 380 female pairs). The authors augmented the sample with twins born between 1989 and 1991 to bring in 55 additional 11-year cohort pairs of twins. The total sample involved 1616 participants. They assessed parent-child relationships as well as lifetime ADHD, ODD, and CD incidence.
Results were as follows. First, parent-child conflict appeared to act as a common vulnerability that increased the risk for multiple childhood disorders. The authors looked at other correlations between psychosocial measures and ADHD, ODD, and CD in male and female children. Conflict was the most highly correlated for all 3 externalizing disorders in both male and females. Low parental involvement, low twin regard for parent, and low parent regard for twin were separate variables associated with this factor. Second, the genes common to ADHD, CD, and ODD may be the same genes that influence conflict. The models showed that the genetic and nonshared environmental disorder-specific paths were all significant. Third, the shared environmental factor that influences conflicts accounted for roughly a quarter of the shared environmental effects common to ADHD, CD, and ODD. Although the study and its design have limitations, the results have important implications. These results include the probability that the source of psychiatric comorbidity may lie in broad latent factors such as parent-child conflict and family environment.
Abstract
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Autistic Traits in the General Population: A Twin Study
Constantino JN, Todd RD
Archives of General Psychiatry. 2003;60(5):524-530
The authors of this study sought to examine the prevalence of autistic traits in the general population using a newly established quantitative measure, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Given the evidence for a broad range of severity of autistic traits, they sought to further define a population at risk for social impairments who may fail to meet full criteria for autistic disorders (Autism, Asperger's, pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified [PDD-NOS]).
The authors used a population of 788 twin pairs, 7 to 15 years of age, randomly selected from participants in the Missouri Twin Study. The SRS is 65-item parent and/or teacher report questionnaire that inquires about reciprocal social behavior, social use of language, and restricted/stereotypic behaviors or interests, that had previously been shown to distinguish PDDs from other psychiatric conditions and normal controls. The reports included 219 male-male pairs, 319 female-female pairs, and 250 opposite-sex pairs. Mean age was 11 to 12 years. Zygosity was assessed by parent interview. Data were analyzed by use of path models to ascertain sex-specific genetic influences.
Results were plotted separately for boys and girls and showed a continuous distribution. The mean scores were 33% higher in boys vs girls with no significant age effects. Severity of traits for PDD-NOS diagnosis was found in 1.4% of boys and 0.3% of girls. The traits seemed to be moderately to highly heritable, influenced by the same additive genetic factors in both boys and girls. There was no evidence for nonadditive genetic factors. Further analysis revealed no evidence for sex-specific genetic influences. The lower incidence in girl twins suggests a female protection from vulnerability to autistic traits. This protection may arise from environmental factors that may improve development of reciprocal social behaviors in females, who may be more sensitive than boys to environmental influence. Alternatively, girls may have an elevated threshold for phenotypic expression of a trait that is expressed on paternally transmitted X-chromosome. Future genetic linkage studies may further elucidate these mechanisms.
Abstract
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Section 2 of 3
Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health 8(1), 2003. ÿffffa9 2003 Medscape
I will exhibit OCD, repetitive, posting behavior or whatever it takes until our children are medically treated.This psychiatric diagnosis and subsequent studies represent a waste of money that should be be used to test
and biologically treat our sick children.God help our newborns at the pace we are going! Ada
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Warning: New Hepatitis Vaccine Recs Can Devastate Newborn's Health
The newly released 2002 immunization schedule encourages the routine use of hepatitis B vaccine for all infants before hospital discharge to
Safeguard against maternal hepatitis B testing errors and test reporting failures
Protect neonates discharged to households in which hepatitis B chronic carriers other than the mother may reside
Enhance the completion of the childhood immunization series
The annual " Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule" of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is issued in January of each year.
Pediatrics Vol. 109 No. 1 January 2002, pp. 162
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DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Folks I am outraged. We need to take action now. These recommendations are inexcusable.
There is no possible logical recommendation for this action. All of these arguments are fatally flawed.
If you are new to the site these may sound like lunatic ramblings of some quack, but before you come to that, or a similar conclusion, I challenge you to examine the facts.
The central fact, and the one that helps to explain these insane recommendations, is that the maker of the hepatitis B vaccine, Merck, makes about $1 billion a year from vaccine sales.
A billion dollars a year goes a long way toward influencing public policy.
Who is Behind This?
The group that is pushing this through is called The Hepatitis B coalition. Part of the Immunization Action Coalition, this group was started by a $750,000 grant from the CDC. It is supported by the World Health Organization, World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation and ongoing funding from Smith-Kline, Merck, Aventis and Johnson & Johnson.
Let us not forget that it has been less than three years since the federal government asked the drug companies to take mercury out of this vaccine, and they still haven't complied.
I have seen many dozens of children who were given this vaccine on the first day of life and subsequently developed autism. Others, like Michael Belkin's daughter, weren't as lucky and died immediately after the vaccine.
Michael is a successful Wall Street Financial analyst with his own company, and has testified to Congress on this issue and regularly forwards news health stories to me.
Well in the single dose hepatitis B vials, the drug companies have replaced the mercury with aluminum, which is another potent neurotoxin that has been associated with Alzheimer's. But who knows what damage it will do to the immature central nervous system of a one-day old infant.
The multi dose hepatitis B vials still contain mercury.
Folks, hepatitis B is about as difficult to catch as AIDS. Namely, you nearly always need to have blood or sexual contact of some sort. That is why the main risk factors are IV drug abusers and those who engage in sex with multiple partners.
Is Hepatitis Vaccine Safe?
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) was developed by the government to report vaccine reactions. Many experts believe that only 10% of the adverse reactions are reported though as reporting is not mandated by law.
Even with only 10% of the problems being reported there were nearly 25,000 VAERS hepatitis B reports from July 1990 to October 31, 1998, showing 439 deaths and 9673 serious reactions involving emergency room visits, hospitalization, disablement or death.
The presence of findings such as brain edema in healthy infants who die very soon after receiving hepatitis B vaccine is profoundly disturbing, especially in view of the frequency of neurologic symptoms in the VAERS.
Does this make any sense?
Is Hepatitis B Vaccine Effective in Newborns?
Vaccine derived immunity is thought to be short lived. Between 30-50% of vaccinated individuals lose their antibiodies within 7 years.
Up to 60% of persons who initially respond will lose detectable antibodies within 12 years.. So that means that these vaccines will provide little to no protection to the real risks of acquiring hepatitis B, promiscuous sexual behavior and IV drug abuse.
Does this make any sense?
How Many Children Are Hurt or Helped By Hepatitis B Vaccine?
Hepatitis B is a rare, mainly blood-transmitted disease. In 1996 only 54 cases of the disease were reported to the CDC in the 0-1 age group. There were 3.9 million births that year, so the observed incidence of hepatitis B in the 0-1 age group was just 0.001%. In the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), there were 1,080 total reports of adverse reactions from hepatitis B vaccine in 1996 in the 0-1 age group, with 47 deaths reported.
Let us put this in simpler terms. For every child with hepatitis B there were 20 that were reported to have severe complications. Let us also remember that only 10% of the reactions are reported to VAERS, so this means:
Traditional medicine is harming 200 children to protect one from hepatitis B.
Does this make any sense?
How Serious Is a Hepatitis B Infection?
The numbers speak for themselves.
Approximately 50% of patients who contract Hepatitis B develop no symptoms after exposure.
However, the exposure ensures that they will have life-time immunity. An additional 30% develop only flu-like symptoms, and again, this group will acquire life-time immunity.
Of the remaining 20% exposed to Hepatitis B will develop the symptoms of the disease. 95% of this 20% will fully recover, with life-time immunity.
Therefore, less than 5% of people who contract Hepatitis B will become chronic carriers of the infection.
The numbers get even smaller: of that 5%, nearly 75% (or 3.75% of the total exposed) will live with an asymptomatic infection and only 25%, (or only 1.25% of the total number of people exposed) will develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer, 10-30 years after the acute infection. (Hyams, K.C. (1995) Risks of chronicity following acute hepatitis B virus infection: A review. Clin. Infect. Dis. 20, 992-1000.)
Think of that in terms of probability: the possibility of contracting the disease is exceedingly difficult for children and only 1.25% of those that are exposed will actually develop the most serious complication!
This type of a " protecting the needle in the haystack" medicine is absurd at best, dangerous at worst.
Does this make any sense?
How Many Safety Studies Have Been Done On Hepatitis B Vaccine?
None.
A manufacturer's representative was asked in a 1997 Illinois Board of Health hearing to show evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe for a 1-day old infant. The representative stated:
" We have none. Our studies were done on 5- and 10-year-olds."
-- The Congressional Quarterly, August 25, 2000, pg. 647
One would think that these would be mandatory, but they are not. All that is required is to show efficacy, (i.e. that the vaccine stimulates an antibody response after it is give), not safety.
In most other industries the fraud represented here would lead to criminal charges.
Does this make any sense?
What Can You Do?
Please tell every pregnant woman you know who about this issue. They need to know the facts BEFORE they are in the hospital and have time to make an informed objective decision. If they are still convinced their child needs hepatitis B vaccine, beg them to make sure their child does not receive the vaccine as a newborn. Delay the vaccine until they really are at a possible risk, like late adolescence.
I am not asking much here. Only some compassion for the helpless. If you have ever seen the agony of families who are struggling with caring for brain injured children you will know what I mean.
I have shown dozens of times in this newsletter, drugs that are thought to be safe are pulled from the market after they have killed dozens or hundreds of people. I am hopeful that hepatitis B vaccinations in newborns will be stopped. Medical science will have to recognize the truth sooner or later.
Folks, drug deaths pale in comparison to the devastation in lost lives that is resulting from implementation of this hepatitis B recommendation.
You can play a large role here. Most of all us did not have a chance to make a difference in the 9/11 tragedy, but nearly everyone of us can help protect the precious brain cells of a newborn.
Don't Delay.
Contact every pregnant woman you know immediately. Save a life.
God Bless you in your efforts to protect the future of our civilization.
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Note To Physicians:
I am a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS). This is a group of over 10,000 US medical doctors, and most of us have reached the conclusion that the head of the organization, Dr. Jane Orient, has about this issue.
To the extent that the physician simply complies without making an independent evaluation of the appropriateness of the vaccine for each patient, he is abdicating his responsibility under the Oath of Hippocrates to:
" prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone."
My thanks to Dr. Sherri Tenpenny for her editing assistance on this important topic.
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Related Articles:
Beware the FDA Approves Combined Hepatitis Vaccine
The Fallacy of the Hepatitis A Vaccine
Hepatitis B Vaccinations: Michael Belkin Testimony to Congress Tuesday May 18, 1999
Hepatitis B Vaccine
Mercury in Vaccines
Autism 'Linked to Mercury Vaccine'
Follow the Money on Vaccines
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Disclaimer - The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola. They are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and they are not intended as medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Vaccines fueling autism epidemic?
Report: U.S. infants exposed to mercury beyond EPA, FDA limits
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Posted: June 9, 2003
5:00 p.m. Eastern
Editor's note: WorldNetDaily is pleased to have a content-sharing agreement with Insight magazine, the bold Washington publication not afraid to ruffle establishment feathers. Subscribe to Insight at WorldNetDaily's online store and save 71 percent off the cover price.
By Kelly Patricia O Meara
ÿffffa9 2003 News World Communications Inc.
The mother of an autistic child wonders aloud when health officials will wake up to the epidemic that has claimed not only her son but hundreds of thousands of other children in the United States, with no end in sight. She muses, " Maybe someday this will be as important as SARS and we'll get the same attention. God knows we need it."
Autism is a severely incapacitating developmental disability for which there is no known cure. According to a recently released report by the California Department of Developmental Services, or DDS, entitled Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Changes in the California Caseload: 1999-2002, the rate of children diagnosed with full-syndrome autism in the Golden State between 1999 and 2002 nearly doubled from 10,360 to 20,377. The report further revealed that " between Dec. 31, 1987, and Dec. 31, 2002, the population of persons with full-syndrome autism has increased by 634 percent." That is a doubling of autism cases every four years, and the staggering increases are not limited to California.
Infants are being inoculated with vaccines containing toxic ingredients that can be harmful ÿffff97 or fatal.
According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Education, the increased autism rate in California is in line with the increases other states are experiencing. For example, in 1992 Ohio reported 22 cases. A decade later the number had increased by 13,895 percent to 3,057. In Illinois the rate of autism cases climbed from just five in 1992 to 3,802 - an increase of 76,040 percent.
Mississippi, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia reported no cases of autism in 1992, but by 2002 the number of cases reported were 461, 404 and 144, respectively.
Only Puerto Rico can claim to have an increase of less than 100 percent, with the remaining states reporting increases of at least 500 percent during the same period.
Although once considered rare, during the last two decades the chance of a child being diagnosed with autism has skyrocketed from one in 10,000 to one in 150. In California, full-syndrome autism now is the No. 1 disability among children and more prevalent than childhood cancer, diabetes and Down's syndrome. It is estimated that within the next four years autism cases in the Golden State will exceed the total number of cases of both cerebral palsy and epilepsy. To get a better idea of how quickly the epidemic is spreading one need only consider that in 1987 there were 2,778 persons with autism in California. By 2002 the number had increased to 20,377, and in 2002 3,575 new cases had been added to the rolls, far exceeding the total number of cases in the state 15 years earlier.
For years there has been a debate about the cause or causes of autism, but the vast majority of finger-pointing has been directed at childhood vaccines as the culprit. And considering what is put into the vaccines injected into hours-old infants, it is easy to understand why they are at the top of the list of suspects: formaldehyde (used in embalming), thimerosal (nearly 50 percent mercury), aluminum phosphate (toxic and carcinogenic), antibiotics, phenols (corrosive to skin and toxic), aluminum salts (corrosive to tissue and neurotoxic), methanol (toxic), isopropyl (toxic), 2-pheoxyethanol (toxic), live viruses and a host of unknown components considered off-limits as trade secrets. These are just part of the vaccine mixture.
For those who believe there are elements in vaccines that may be responsible for the increased number of autism cases and other neurological disorders, thimerosal currently is at the top of the list of possible culprits being investigated.
Despite official insistence that the evidence linking injected thimerosal to autism is inconclusive, the data suggest otherwise. In 1999 the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, or IOM, must have thought there was something seriously wrong when it supported removal of thimerosal from vaccines, stating that it was " a prudent measure in support of the public goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as much as possible." The IOM further urged that " full consideration be given to removing thimerosal from any biological product to which infants, children and pregnant women are exposed."
A recently published study in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons by Mark Geier, M.D., Ph.D., and president of the Genetic Centers of America and his son, David Geier, president of Medcon Inc. and a consultant on vaccine cases, was titled " Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines, Neurodevelopment Disorders and Heart Disease in the United States." It presents strong epidemiological evidence for a link between neurodevelopmental disorders and mercury exposure from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines.
Specifically, the authors evaluated the doses of mercury that children received as part of their immunization schedule, then compared these doses with federal safety guidelines. Furthermore, to compare the effects of thimerosal in vaccine recipients, the incident rates of neurodevelopmental disorders and heart disease reported to the government's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System were analyzed. The results were dramatic. The report revealed that " U.S. infants are exposed to mercury levels from their childhood-immunization schedule that far exceed the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-established maximum permissible levels for the daily oral ingestion of methyl mercury."
The authors concluded that " in light of voluminous literature supporting the biologic mechanisms for mercury-induced adverse reactions, the presence of amounts of mercury in thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines exceeding federal safety guidelines for the oral ingestion of mercury and previous epidemiological studies showing adverse reactions to such vaccines, a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and neurodevelopment disorders and heart disease appears to be confirmed."
It is no secret among government and health officials that mercury is toxic and causes serious adverse reactions. In July 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement calling for the removal of thimerosal from vaccines. Five years after the joint statement, however, it still is difficult for parents and physicians to be sure that the pharmaceutical companies have indeed removed the toxic substance from their vaccines.
According to Mark Geier, " The 2003 Physicians' Desk Reference, or PDR, still shows childhood vaccines containing thimerosal, including diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis. DTaP, manufactured by Aventis Pasteur, contains 25ÿffffb5g [25 micrograms] of mercury, Hemophilus influenzae b (Hib) vaccine manufactured by Wyeth contains 25ÿffffb5g of mercury and pediatric Hepatitis B vaccine, manufactured by Merck, contains 12.5ÿffffb5g of mercury."
Geier continues, " In addition, the influenza vaccine that is recommended for an increasing segment of the pediatric population in the U.S. also contains 25ÿffffb5g of mercury. Assuming that the labeling is correct, it is possible that children in the U.S. in 2003 may be exposed to levels of mercury from thimerosal contained in childhood vaccines that are at higher levels than at any time in the past. Possible total childhood mercury in 2003 is more than 300ÿffffb5g."
Whether the " labeling is correct" is the question du jour. According to Len Lavenda, a spokesman for Aventis Pasteur, the maker of DTaP, " Aventis only sells the DTaP vaccine in the preservative-free formulation. The PDR references both the single and multidose. However, when we received the license for the preservative-free we ceased sales of the multidose vial. For some reason, the package insert takes much longer to revise than one would expect. I believe it is at the FDA waiting for approval, but the fact is we do not sell or market that product. In March 2001 we stopped all sales of that product in the preservative formulation. We did not recall the product at that time because it was our belief that if we did children may go unimmunized. It's been two years since anyone has been able to purchase the preservative formulation from us."
Lavenda continues: " The package insert talks about both the single and multidose vials and it says that the single-dose vial is preservative-free, and that is all that is sold. The PDR is outdated, but parents don't have to worry about their children being administered 25ÿffffb5g of thimerosal. It just takes time to get the paperwork caught up. The current package insert does not accurately reflect what is being marketed."
Geier is astounded by Lavenda's admission. " If this is true, they should be in jail. They can't have an insert on a drug that is totally wrong. It is against all regulations. If I'm a doctor and I'm giving you a shot and the insert says such and such is in the shot, it had better be in it. If doctors can't rely on the instructions that come with what we're injecting then all bets are off. This is a far worse admission than admitting that thimerosal is still in the vaccine. There are at least 15 laws that say the insert has to match what is in the product. This is absolutely horrendous. In my entire career in medicine I have never heard of a drug company claiming that what's in the insert and the accompanying product don't match. This is total mislabeling and fraud by their own admission. Legally they should be forced to close down because our clinical decisions are based on their labeling."
Assuming that the package inserts are correct, Geier tells Insight, " The EPA limit is 0.1 micrograms of mercury per kilogram body weight per day. It doesn't take a genius to do the calculations when on their day of birth children are given the hepatitis B vaccine, which is 12.5 micrograms of mercury. The average newborn weighs between 6 and 7 pounds, so they would be allowed 0.3 micrograms of mercury ÿffff96 but in this one shot they are getting 12.5 micrograms. That's 39 times more than allowed by law. And it gets worse when you consider that children are getting multiple vaccinations at 2 months. And this limit is for oral ingestion and not injection, which is much worse."
Rhonda Smith, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tells Insight that, except for mere traces, thimerosal has been removed. " All routinely recommended licensed vaccines," says Smith, " that are currently being manufactured for children in the U.S., except influenza, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts - a concentration of less than 0.0002 percent." But according to the 2003 immunization schedule and the package inserts, there appear to be a number of childhood vaccines that still contain mercury, including those for tetanus and diphtheria.
This scenario becomes even more bizarre when one further considers that thimerosal is not a necessary component in vaccines. It first was introduced by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. in the 1930s and is added to vaccines only as a preservative ÿffff96 the theory being that multiple doses are taken from the same bottle and that thimerosal will protect against contamination. However, according to Geier, " the solution to any such problem is to make vaccines available in a single dose, which will cost the pharmaceuticals about one penny more. What is interesting is that if you look up the mumps, measles, rubella [MMR] vaccines in the PDR you'll see that they do not contain thimerosal because it would kill the live virus. The MMR is available in multidose packaging and, yet, there is no preservative ÿffff96 nothing. What they did was put a label on it that says 'This product does not contain preservatives. Handle with care.' It's that simple."
Geier insists, " I'm pro-vaccines, but the bottom line is that our kids are getting massive amounts of mercury. Mercury has been withdrawn from everything, including animal vaccines, yet we keep injecting it into our children. Everyone should absolutely refuse to take a vaccine shot that has thimerosal in it, and they should insist on reading the vaccine package insert. Our data showed that the more mercury children received in their childhood vaccines the more neurodevelopment disorders there are. We've looked at this every possible way and every time there's massive evidence to support it."
So, if everyone acknowledges the toxicity of mercury and top U.S. health officials have called for its removal, why is thimerosal still in vaccines?
" Maybe," concludes Geier, " the mercury isn't being taken out all at once because if the pharmaceutical companies did that you would see an unbelievable change in the rate of autism and there would be massive lawsuits. If you look at the graphs now they go up and up. If you stop the thimerosal all at once you'd see the numbers fall dramatically."
Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., a longtime advocate for victims of autism, has a grandson who became autistic after receiving nine vaccines in one day. Burton recently sent his second request in as many years to the White House asking for a conference of scientists, researchers and parents to look into the causes of autism.
The Indiana lawmaker tells Insight, " There is no doubt in my mind that the mercury in vaccines is a major contributing factor to a growing number of neurological disorders among children, but in particular autism."
Burton explains that " thimerosal is a toxic substance ÿffff96 mercury ÿffff96 and should not be put in close proximity of people, should not be injected into people, especially children who have a newly formed immune system that may not be able to handle it. To my knowledge there never have been long-term tests on thimerosal and we never should have used mercury in vaccines, period. Now what we've got is an epidemic that is absolutely out of control."
The Indiana congressman continues, " One reason this isn't getting the attention it needs is that the Food and Drug Administration has very close ties to the pharmaceutical companies, as does the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] and the Centers for Disease Control. I've said in the past that in some cases it appears that it's a revolving door and people leave government health agencies and go to work for the pharmaceuticals, which I think have undue influence on our health agencies. Of course, they may not want to look at this because there's a possibility that large claims would be filed and the pharmaceutical companies would have to cough up the money to take care of these kids who have been damaged."
Burton means business. He insists, " The FDA, CDC and HHS should put out in a very public way the dangers of mercury, but as soon as they do it will amount to an admission that their mercury is causing these problems. So the reports that come out of the FDA, CDC and HHS use ambiguous terms. Well, if they're not sure, and there's the remotest possibility that mercury in vaccines could cause autism, they ought to get thimerosal off the market. Too many kids are being ruined for life because of this stuff."
Barbara Loe Fisher is founder of the National Vaccine Information Center, a charitable organization dedicated to the prevention of vaccine injuries and deaths through public education. Fisher tells Insight, " There are many things in vaccines that could be causing these disorders, and thimerosal is only part of the problem. In the last 20 years, we've gone from giving children 23 doses of seven vaccines to 38 doses of 12 vaccines. I think the mercury is part of it for some kids, though I'm not sure it's the answer for all." But this is a no-brainer, says Fisher. " Mercury shouldn't be in vaccines. They've taken it out of everything else so why not the vaccines? The one thing that people really need to look at is the dramatic rise in chronic disease and disabilities in our kids in just the last two decades. You have to admit that there is something occurring that a growing number of children cannot get through without being immune-system and brain-system damaged. And what is the one thing that we expose every child to? Those vaccines."
Fisher concludes, " I've always argued that public health is not measured only by an absence of infectious disease. It also is measured by the absence of chronic disease. By that score we get a big fat 'F.' So we don't have measles and mumps, but look what we have now. It's just really simple: Take the mercury out and let's see what happens."
Even so, based on the Aventis admission that the package insert does not reflect what is in the vaccine, it will be difficult to know when, if ever, the thimerosal actually has been removed. This skews the data about the relationship between thimerosal and autism. More important, it means parents cannot be sure the vaccinations their children receive are free of mercury.
Neither the Wyeth nor Merck pharmaceutical companies, nor HHS or FDA, returned Insight's calls about this matter.
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Subscribe to Insight
Kelly Patricia O'Meara is an investigative reporter for Insight magazine.
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Maybe someday this will be as important as SARS and we'll get the same attention. God knows we need it.
-- Mother of autistic child
I'm pro-vaccines, but the bottom line is that our kids are getting massive amounts of mercury. Mercury has been withdrawn from everything, including animal vaccines, yet we keep injecting it into our children.
-- Dr. Mark Geier, president of the Genetic Centers of America
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1: Med Hypotheses. 2003 May;60(5):650-3. Related Articles, Links
Does the MMR vaccine and secretin or its receptor share an antigenic epitope?
Mehta BK, Munir KM.
Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada
In a subgroup of children with autism-spectrum like conditions symptoms seem to appear as a 'regression' (in normal development). It has been postulated that the onset of such autistic symptoms may involve an autoimmune response against the central nervous system and that the antigenic determinant could possibly be gastrointestinal in origin. It has been suggested that the presence of the measles virus and 'autistic enterocolitis' demonstrates the possibility that the MMR triple vaccine may be mediating the inflammation with possible production of antibodies against the virus containing vaccine. Such an antibody may share antigenic determinant to molecules found in the gut. We propose that this may be secretin or its receptor, found in the gut as well as in the central nervous system. The antibody response to the gut may also conceivably occur in the brain at a critical time in development. The modulation of development by secretin may be a static event possibly occurring at a specific time in early childhood development and if it involves an autoimmune response then a disruption in development may result. These hypothesized events can only occur if the MMR vaccine shares antigenic determinants that resemble secretin or any of its receptor types and remains to be studied.
PMID: 12710897 [PubMed - in process]
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Summary Brief Abstract Citation ASN.1 MEDLINE XML UI List LinkOut Related Articles Domain Links 3D Domain Links GEO DataSet Links Genome Links GEO Links Nucleotide Links OMIM Links PMC Links Cited in PMC PopSet Links Protein Links SNP Links Structure Links Show: 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 Sort Author Journal Pub Date Text File Clipboard E-mail Order
: Gut. 2002 Dec;51(6):816-7. Related Articles, Links
Effect of Pentavac and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination on the intestine.
Thjodleifsson B, Davidsdottir K, Agnarsson U, Sigthorsson G, Kjeld M, Bjarnason I.
Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Hringbraut, Reykjavik, Iceland.
BACKGROUND: The safety of infant vaccination has been questioned in recent years. In particular it has been suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination leads to brain damage manifesting as autism consequent to the development of an " enterocolitis" in the immediate post-vaccination period. AIM: To assess if MMR vaccination is associated with subclinical intestinal inflammation, which is central to the autistic " enterocolitis" theory. METHODS: We studied 109/58 infants, before and two and four weeks after immunisation with Pentavac and MMR vaccines, for the presence of intestinal inflammation (faecal calprotectin). RESULTS: Neither vaccination was associated with any significant increase in faecal calprotectin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The failure of the MMR vaccination to cause an intestinal inflammatory response provides evidence against the proposed gut-brain interaction that is central to the autistic " enterocolitis" hypothesis.
PMID: 12427783 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Jun 12 2003 10:19:17
Dr. Deth's (Deeth's) finding that thimerosal shuts off
methionine synthase as effectively as does ethanol and does so at levels
Pichichero et al described in well babies!
AND
2: Neuropediatrics 2000 Dec;31(6):314-7
Comment in: Neuropediatrics. 2001 Dec;32(6):335-6.
Hydrocephalus internus in two patients with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate
reductase deficiency.
Baethmann M, Wendel U, Hoffmann GF, Gohlich-Ratmann G, Kleinlein B, Seiffert P,
Blom H, Voit T.
Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Essen, Germany.
Hydrocephalus internus (HCI) of all four ventricles in association with early
neurological abnormalities is described as the presenting symptom in two
patients with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency.
Decreased activity of MTHFR leads to reduction of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the
main methyl donor for methionine synthesis necessary for synthesis of
S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM). Demyelination in MTHFR deficiency has been
attributed to low SAM levels in the brain. The biochemical hallmarks of the
disorder are hyperhomocystinemia, homocystinuria and low levels of plasma
methionine. Hydrocephalus internus requiring neurosurgical intervention has to
our knowledge not been reported as a presenting feature of homocystinuria due to
deficiency of MTHFR so far. The surprising finding of HCI of all four ventricles
in MTHFR deficiency must be kept in mind when evaluating patients with
hydrocephalus of unknown origin.
PMID: 11508552 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2001 Mar;22(3):554-63
Early-onset combined methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria: neuroradiologic
findings.
Rossi A, Cerone R, Biancheri R, Gatti R, Schiaffino MC, Fonda C, Zammarchi E,
Tortori-Donati P.
Department of Pediatric Neuroradiology , G. Gaslini Children's Research
Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Combined methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria
(MMA-HC) is caused by impaired hepatic conversion of dietary cobalamin to
methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, resulting in decreased activity of
methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and methionine synthase. Patients with the early-onset
variety present within 12 months of age with severe neurologic, hematologic, and
gastrointestinal abnormalities. We describe the neuroradiologic features of
early-onset MMA-HC and discuss related pathophysiological mechanisms. METHODS:
Twelve infants with hypotonia, failure to thrive, poor feeding, and hematologic
abnormalities were diagnosed with MMA-HC on the basis of a typical plasmatic and
urinary metabolic profile and enzyme activity in fibroblastic cultures.
Complementation studies were performed in two cases, and yielded a CblC result.
MR imaging was performed at presentation in four cases and later in the others.
All patients showed prompt biochemical improvement with intramuscular
hydroxocobalamin administration, and most had moderate neurologic improvement.
RESULTS: Diffuse supratentorial white matter edema and dysmyelination was the
typical MR picture at presentation, whereas white matter bulk loss characterized
later stages of the disease. Nucleocapsular areas of gliosis were an additional
finding in one case. One patient had tetraventricular hydrocephalus at
presentation. CONCLUSION: White matter damage is probably caused by reduced
methyl group availability and nonphysiological fatty acids toxicity, whereas
focal gliosis results from homocysteine-induced toxicity to the endothelium.
Hydrocephalus may result from diffuse intracranial extracerebral arterial
stiffness, known as reduced arterial pulsation hydrocephalus. MR imaging
features at presentation and at follow-up are nonspecific.
PMID: 11237984 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4: Eur J Pediatr 2000 Oct;159 Suppl 2:S109-13
The neurochemistry of phenylketonuria.
Surtees R, Blau N.
Institute of Child Health (UCLMS), London, UK. r.surtees@ich.ucl.ac.uk
The mechanisms by which deficiency of hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase causes
central nervous system disease are reviewed. The neurological disease appears to
be secondary to increased concentrations of phenylalanine and a decrease in the
concentrations of other large neutral amino acids, especially methionine and
tyrosine, within the central nervous system. This causes a deficiency of the
neurotransmitter dopamine, reduced protein synthesis and demyelination. Similar
mechanisms appear to be operating when blood phenylalanine concentrations are in
the range expected for early continuously treated phenylketonuria. CONCLUSION:
The severe brain disease found in phenylketonuria is caused by a raised blood
phenylalanine content which increases the brain free phenylalanine and decreases
the concentration of other large neutral amino acids. Brain protein synthesis is
decreased, myelin turnover is increased and there are abnormalities in amine
neurotransmitter systems.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 11043156 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
5: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJHG/journal/issues/v66n2/990553/990553.web.pdf
Am J Hum Genet 2000 Feb;66(2):347-55
Methionine adenosyltransferase I/III deficiency: novel mutations and clinical
variations.
Chamberlin ME, Ubagai T, Mudd SH, Thomas J, Pao VY, Nguyen TK, Levy HL, Greene
C, Freehauf C, Chou JY.
Heritable Disorders Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) I/III deficiency, caused by mutations in
the MAT1A gene, is characterized by persistent hypermethioninemia without
elevated homocysteine or tyrosine. Clinical manifestations are variable and
poorly understood, although a number of individuals with homozygous null
mutations in MAT1A have neurological problems, including brain demyelination. We
analyzed MAT1A in seven hypermethioninemic individuals, to provide insight into
the relationship between genotype and phenotype. We identified six novel
mutations and demonstrated that mutations resulting in high plasma methionines
may signal clinical difficulties. Two patients-a compound heterozygote for
truncating and severely inactivating missense mutations and a homozygote for an
aberrant splicing MAT1A mutation-have plasma methionine in the 1,226-1,870
microM range (normal 5-35 microM) and manifest abnormalities of the brain gray
matter or signs of brain demyelination. Another compound heterozygote for
truncating and inactivating missense mutations has 770-1,240 microM plasma
methionine and mild cognitive impairment. Four individuals carrying either two
inactivating missense mutations or the single-allelic R264H mutation have
105-467 microM plasma methionine and are clinically unaffected. Our data
underscore the necessity of further studies to firmly establish the relationship
between genotypes in MAT I/III deficiency and clinical phenotypes, to elucidate
the molecular bases of variability in manifestations of MAT1A mutations.
PMID: 10677294 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
6: Pharmacol Ther 2000 Jan;85(1):1-9
Molecular genetics of hepatic methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency.
Chou JY.
Heritable Disorders Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1830, USA.
chou@helix.nih.gov
Hepatic methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) deficiency is caused by mutations
in the human MAT1A gene that abolish or reduce hepatic MAT activity that
catalyzes the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine from methionine and ATP. This
genetic disorder is characterized by isolated persistent hypermethioninemia in
the absence of cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency, tyrosinemia, or liver
disease. Depending on the nature of the genetic defect, hepatic MAT deficiency
can be transmitted either as an autosomal recessive or dominant trait. Genetic
analyses have revealed that mutations identified in the MAT1A gene only
partially inactivate enzymatic activity, which is consistent with the fact that
most hepatic MAT-deficient individuals are clinically well. Two
hypermethioninemic individuals with null MAT1A mutations have developed
neurological problems, including brain demyelination, although this correlation
is by no means absolute. Presently, it is recommended that a DNA-based diagnosis
should be performed for isolated hypermethioninemic individuals with unusually
high plasma methionine levels to assess if therapy aimed at the prevention of
neurological manifestations is warranted.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 10674710 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
7: Eur J Pediatr 1998 Apr;157 Suppl 2:S122-6
Relevance of vitamins, homocysteine and other metabolites in neuropsychiatric
disorders.
Allen RH, Stabler SP, Lindenbaum J.
Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver
80220, USA.
Indistinguishable hematologic abnormalities are seen in most patients with
cobalamin (Cbl, vitamin B12) or folate deficiency. Approximately one third of
Cbl-deficient patients develop a wide variety of non-focal neuropsychiatric
abnormalities that are not seen in folate deficiency. Serum levels of
homocysteine are elevated to a similar degree in Cbl-deficient patients with and
without neuropsychiatric abnormalities, and in folate-deficient patients. Serum
levels of eight other metabolites including methylmalonic acid also fail to
elucidate the biochemical basis for the neuropsychiatric abnormalities. Levels
of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are often only slightly elevated in
Cbl-deficient patients who have significant neuropsychiatric defects. Moderate
elevations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid occur in 20%-30% of various
elderly populations (mean age 80) and may play a role in the similar
neuropsychiatric abnormalities that occur increasingly with aging. Taken
together, these studies suggest that an important unknown Cbl-dependent enzyme,
metabolic abnormality, environmental factor, or genetic factor may play a major
role in the pathophysiology of the neuropsychiatric abnormalities caused by Cbl
deficiency.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9587039 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
8: Eur J Pediatr 1998 Apr;157 Suppl 2:S118-21
Demyelination and inborn errors of the single carbon transfer pathway.
Surtees R.
Institute of Child Health (UCLMS), London, UK.
Inborn errors of the single-carbon transfer pathway are rare disorders of folate
and cobalamin metabolism. They may be complicated by demyelination resembling
subacute combined degeneration of the cord and brain. The study of CSF
metabolites in children with serial errors affecting the single-carbon transfer
pathway has suggested that S-adenosylmethionine deficiency is a cause of the
demyelination. This deficiency is corrected by treatment that causes clinical
improvement and remyelination. Some treatments can only have an indirect effect
on the brain and this is discussed with other evidence that the liver may
produce factors that are necessary for the maintenance of central myelin.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9587038 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9: Nutr Rev 1996 Dec;54(12):382-90
Folate, vitamin B12, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Bottiglieri T.
Kimberly H. Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease,
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Folate and vitamin B12 are required both in the methylation of homocysteine to
methionine and in the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine. S-adenosylmethionine is
involved in numerous methylation reactions involving proteins, phospholipids,
DNA, and neurotransmitter metabolism. Both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency may
cause similar neurologic and psychiatric disturbances including depression,
dementia, and a demyelinating myelopathy. A current theory proposes that a
defect in methylation processes is central to the biochemical basis of the
neuropsychiatry of these vitamin deficiencies. Folate deficiency may
specifically affect central monoamine metabolism and aggravate depressive
disorders. In addition, the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine may also play a
role in the ne