Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28326463›Full record

ArticleMetabolic brain disease2017

Relationship between selenium, lead, and mercury in red blood cells of Saudi autistic children.

Afaf El-Ansary, Geir Bjørklund, Alexey A Tinkov, Anatoly V Skalny, Hussain Al Dera

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolic brain disease, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. 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 · 2026
    Review
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  16. Exposure to heavy metalsmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2023
    Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Afaf El-AnsaryCentral Laboratory, Center for Female Scientific and Medical Colleges, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Geir BjørklundCouncil for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Toften 24, 8610, Mo i Rana, Norway. bjorklund@conem.org.ORCID 0000-0003-2632-3935
Alexey A TinkovOrenburg State University, Orenburg, Russia.
Anatoly V SkalnyOrenburg State Medical University, Orenburg, Russia.
Hussain Al DeraBasic Medical Science Department, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdul Aziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah International Medical Research Center · SAKing Saud University · SAOrenburg State University · RUPeoples' Friendship University of Russia · RUThe Research Council of Norway · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Environmental contribution to ASD is due in large part to the sensitivity of the developing brain to external exposures such as lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) as toxic heavy metals or due to a poor detoxification ability as the phenotype of this disorder. Selenium (Se) as an antioxidant element that counteracts the neurotoxicity of Hg, and Pb, presumably through the formation of nontoxic complexes. In the present study, Pb, Hg, and Se were measured in red blood cells (RBCs) of 35 children with ASD and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy control children using atomic absorption spectrometry. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis of the obtained data was performed to measure the predictive value of their absolute and relative concentrations. The obtained data demonstrates a significant elevation of Hg and Pb together with a significant decrease in the Se levels in RBCs of patients with ASD when compared to the healthy controls. The ratios of Se to both Pb and Hg were remarkably altered, being indicative of heavy metal neurotoxicity in patients with ASD. In conclusion, the present study indicates the importance of Se for prevention and/or therapy of heavy metal neurotoxicity.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderChildChild, PreschoolErythrocytesHumansLeadMaleMercurySaudi ArabiaSeleniumLeadMercurySeleniumAutismDetoxificationLeadMercuryNeurotoxicitySelenium

Identifiers

PMID28326463
OpenAlexW2599355116

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.