Blood Test for Autism?
New research by the University of Arkansas points to the possibility of a blood test to detect autism. The study by Dr James (Metabolic biomarkers of increased oxidative stress and impaired methylation capacity in children with autism) points to autistic children having a impaired capacity for methylation, which has many functions in the human body including dealing with heavy metals, including mercury. Specifically, 80 per cent of autistic children in the study had notably low levels of active glutathione. A reduction of glutathione can wreak damage on the brain, gastro-intestinal tract and immune system. Heavy metals also reach higher levels more quickly in children with low glutathione. The build-up may act as an environmental trigger, turning on latent autism-causing genes. The Arkansas team has also found that the genes controlling glutathione metabolism are more likely to be disrupted in autistic children than in healthy ones.
Source: Times Online Science Notebook
See Also: Mercury & Autism; Ethyl Mercury Versus Methyl Mercury
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June 2nd, 2005
Autism, Autism Tests & Diagnosis, Science, Autism and Mercury
Comments on: Blood Test for Autism?
I am in need of information on how to have a child of 6 yrs tested for possible autism or another behaviral or learning problem where do I go and what test are done
Posted by: brandi September 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
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