ArticleBehavioral and brain functions : BBF2014
A key role for an impaired detoxification mechanism in the etiology and severity of autism spectrum disorders.
Article in Behavioral and brain functions : BBF, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 102 citations in OpenAlex.
- Review
- Mercury-induced excitotoxicity in autism spectrum disorder: disruption of glutamatergic homeostasis and the therapeutic role of the selenium-glutathione axis.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026Review
- Environmental metal exposure and autism spectrum disorder: spatial analysis of exposure patterns and associated risk among children in Alabama.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2026Article
- Urinary Porphyrin Profiles and Trace Element Imbalances in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Insights into Environmental and Metabolic Biomarkers.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- The effects of parental occupational exposures on autism spectrum disorder severity and skills in cognitive and adaptive domains in children with autism spectrum disorder.International journal of hygiene and environmental health · 2025Article
- Reversal of Autism Symptoms among Dizygotic Twins through a Personalized Lifestyle and Environmental Modification Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
- Additive or Interactive Associations of Food Allergies with Glutathione S-Transferase Genes in Relation to ASD and ASD Severity in Jamaican Children.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2024Article
- Nutritional epigenetics education improves diet and attitude of parents of children with autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.World journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Article
- Nutritional Status and Dietary Behaviors of Children with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Review
- Mercury and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring the Link through Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Identification of potentially relevant metals for the etiology of autism by using a Bayesian multivariate approach for partially censored values.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Interactive associations of eczema with glutathione S-transferase genes in relation to autism spectrum disorder and its severity in Jamaican children.Research in autism spectrum disorders · 2023Article
- Are There Sex Differences in Interactive Associations of Environmental Exposure to Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), and Manganese (Mn) with GST Genes (Research in autism spectrum disorders · 2023Article
- Higher rates of autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in American children: Are food quality issues impacting epigenetic inheritance?World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2023Review
- The Rationale for Vitamin, Mineral, and Cofactor Treatment in the Precision Medical Care of Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Association between heavy metals exposure (cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury) and child autistic disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Article
- Research into the Association of Cadmium and Manganese Excretion with Thyroid Function and Behavioral Areas in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- A Role for Gene-Environment Interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorder Is Supported by Variants in Genes Regulating the Effects of Exposure to Xenobiotics.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAutism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a syndrome with a number of etiologies and different mechanisms that lead to abnormal development. The identification of autism biomarkers in patients with different degrees of clinical presentation (i.e., mild, moderate and severe) will give greater insight into the pathogenesis of this disease and will enable effective early diagnostic strategies and treatments for this disorder.
methodsIn this study, the concentration of two toxic heavy metals, lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), were measured in red blood cells, while glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and vitamin E, as enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, respectively, were measured in the plasma of subgroups of autistic patients with different Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores. The results were compared to age- and gender-matched healthy controls.
resultsThe obtained data showed that the patients with autism spectrum disorder had significantly higher Pb and Hg levels and lower GST activity and vitamin E concentrations compared with the controls. The levels of heavy metals (Hg and Pb), GST and vitamin E were correlated with the severity of the social and cognitive impairment measures (SRS and CARS). Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis and predictiveness curves indicated that the four parameters show satisfactory sensitivity, very high specificity and excellent predictiveness. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that higher levels of Hg and Pb, together with lower levels of GST and vitamin E, can be used to predict social and cognitive impairment in patients with autism spectrum disorders.
conclusionThis study confirms earlier studies that implicate toxic metal accumulation as a consequence of impaired detoxification in autism and provides insight into the etiological mechanism of autism.
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