Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33661472›Full record

ArticleBiological trace element research2022

Assessment of Urinary Lead (Pb) and Essential Trace Elements in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Case-Control Study Among Preschool Children in Malaysia.

Mohd Shahrol Abd Wahil, Mohd Hasni Ja'afar, Zaleha Md Isa

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Biological trace element research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

19 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Associated with Early-Life Exposure to Heavy Metals: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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  15. Metal exposure in a child population after a mine tailings dam failure. Projeto Bruminha.Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2023
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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

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mohd Shahrol Abd WahilDepartment of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4544-0280
Mohd Hasni Ja'afarDepartment of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. drmhasni1965@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0007-6008
Zaleha Md IsaDepartment of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4850-901X
National University of Malaysia · MY

Funding

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia FF-2018-286
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal which is abundant in the environment and known to cause neurotoxicity in children even at minute concentration. However, the trace elements calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) are essential to children due to its protective effect on neurodevelopment. The primary objective of this study was to assess the role of Pb and trace elements in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among preschool children. A total of 81 ASD children and 74 typically developed (TD) children aged between 3 and 6 years participated in the study. Self-administered online questionnaires were completed by the parents. A first-morning urine sample was collected in a sterile polyethene urine container and assayed for Pb, Ca, Mg, Zn and Fe using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Comparisons between groups revealed that the urinary Pb, Mg, Zn and Fe levels in ASD children were significantly lower than TD children. The odds of ASD reduced significantly by 5.0% and 23.0% with an increment of every 1.0 μg/dL urinary Zn and Fe, respectively. Post interaction analysis showed that the odds of ASD reduced significantly by 11.0% and 0.1% with an increment of every 1.0 μg/dL urinary Zn and Pb, respectively. A significantly lower urinary Pb level in ASD children than TD children may be due to their poor detoxifying mechanism. Also, the significantly lower urinary Zn and Fe levels in ASD children may augment the neurotoxic effect of Pb.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderTrace ElementsCase-Control StudiesChildChild, PreschoolHumansLeadMalaysiaLeadTrace ElementsAutismChildrenPbTrace elementsUrinary

Identifiers

PMID33661472
PMCPMC7930527
OpenAlexW3134813185

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.