Autism, Schizophrenia, and sulphites

[bloom]

Recently I've been wondering about the relationship between Autism Spectrum and Schizophrenia related disorders.

For one thing - there seems to be some overlap in some charaterisitics and at one time were thought to be related - and for another - there is the sulfite connection. Recently someone posted a thread about a possible test for Schizophrenia that involved sulphites in urine. ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=276x3443 ) But there has also been found to be a connection between Austism and Sulphites.

Complementary Medicine in Autistic Disorders: Results from the Application of a Working Hypothesis

...Selection of treatment depends on the recognition of the underlying cause, which appears to be a heritable failure of the immune system and the metabolic effects of that failure. This is supported by twin and family studies, as well as direct evidence from the children.

Signalling hormones from the disturbed immune system interfere with brain cell function, and due to deficiencies in the immune system responses to common antigens are reduced, reflecting low T cells and in turn lower production of antibodies.

Deficiencies of metals such as Zinc and Magnesium compound this, because much of immune cell activity is dependent upon them.

Phenol sulphyltransferase (PST) deficiency leads to poor detox management; toxic Sulphite is not converted to sulphate. In the presence of Sulphite, acquisition of immune tolerance is disturbed.

Treatment in this programme is directed towards restoring normal gut function, using complex homeopathic medicines and probiotics. Improvement in liver function is achieved by reducing the load on PST by diet, and by replacing minerals in deficiency. Gut function is impaired by mineral deficiency so re-absorption of toxic metabolites and food substances is reduced by using active laxatives.

Twenty children were diagnosed using DSM protocols in clinics in India, Pakistan, USA, UK, Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Results from these 20 treated children showed that 15 had Sulphite in the urine, before treatment, but after six months of treatment there was a complete absence of Sulphite in 60% and a significant fall in 13%. This was associated with positive behavioural changes including reduced hyperactivity, more referring gaze, better social interaction, faster speech acquisition, better use of computational skills, improvements in perceptive development, and improved hand eye co-ordination....

http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/Complementary_Medicine.htm

Autism and Schizophrenia: Intestinal Disorders
Cade R et al. Nutritional Neuroscience, March 2000.
Abstract:
We examined Dohan's htypothesis that Schizophrenia and childhood autism are due to the absorption of "exorphins" contained in gluten and casein. We found both diseases are associated with hyperpolypeptiduria with similar peptide patterns upon Sephadex separation. When material from Sephadex separation of urine peptides was separated further by high pressure liquid chromatography, large amounts of gliadorphin and beta-casomorphin-7 were found. Immuneglobulin studies in schizophrenics showed 86% had IgA antibodies to gluten and 67% to casein. Among autistics 30% had IgA antibodies to gluten and casein. High titer IgG antibodies to gluten were found in 87% of autistic and 86% of schizophrenic patients and IgG antibodies to casein were found in 90% of autistic and in 93% of schizophrenics. When schizophrenic patients were treated with dialysis or a gluten-casein free diet, peptiduria decreased and symptoms ameliorated. A gluten-casein free diet was accompanied by improvement in 81% of autistic children within 3 months. Our data provide support for the proposal that schizophrenia and autism are due to absorption of exorphins formed in the intestine from digestion of gluten and casein.

http://diet-studies.com/cade.html

Sulphation deficit in "low-functioning" autistic children: a pilot study.

Alberti A, Pirrone P, Elia M, Waring RH, Romano C.

Department of Pediatrics, Oasi Institute for Research on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging (IRCCS), Troina, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Parents of autistic children and autism support groups often report that autistic episodes are exacerbated when the children eat certain foodstuffs such as dairy products, chocolates, wheat, corn sugar, apples, and bananas. The hypothesis that autistic behavior might be related to metabolic dysfunctions has led us to investigate in a group of "low functioning" autistic children and in an age-matched control group each made up of 20 subjects, the sulphation capacity available. METHODS: Utilizing the biochemical characteristics of paracetamol we evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography, the urine paracetamol-sulfate/paracetamol-glucuronide (PS/PG) ratio in all subjects following administration of this drug. RESULTS: The PS/PG ratio in the group of autistic subjects gave a significantly lower results than the control group with p < .00002. CONCLUSIONS: The inability to effectively metabolize certain compounds particularly phenolic amines, toxic for the CNS, could exacerbate the wide spectrum of autistic behavior.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=10435209&dopt=Abstract

[hedgehog]

1. It would make sense to me that either or both of these could be a metaboli

Autism kicks in at about the same time disorders such as Tay-Sachs rear their ugly heads. The people I know who have schizophrenia have a certain "look" about them that suggests this is a disease that involves the entire body, not just the brain. Whatever is involved is very subtle. Whether they involve the same problem or whether the same areas are effected is anyone's guess. Another possible connection is that both tend to first manifest when the brain is busy making new connections and maturing into another phase of life - from infancy to early childhood and from late adolescence to adulthood. We always knew the infant brain was growing, but just recently have come to understand how much growth a young adult's brain is experiencing because the changes involve more than adding mass.