immune – ASF Weekly Science Podcasts

People with autism have higher levels of GI problems then people without a diagnosis, and the microbiome is associated with GI function, so is the microbiome linked to autism?  Some studies say yes, but this week studies in China look at non-caucasian people eating different diet.  Do the differences still hold?  Also, while GI  symptoms have been studied in relation to core autism features, they have not yet been linked to psychiatric issues like anxiety, ADHD, and aggression.  Until now.  This week’s podcast features three new studies looking GI issues and the causes of those issues, in kids with autism.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204460/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30394313

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143520/

A new study uses baby teeth, which are formed in pregnancy and emerge at about 6 months to a year, to understand the dynamics of metals in people with autism.  Not just the levels, but the cycles of zinc and copper, which goes up and down normally with regular biological processes.  This could be the start to many more studies which use baby teeth to understand prenatal and early neonatal exposures in people with autism.  Also, the largest study published so far on food allergies confirmed a higher than normal presence of food, respiratory and skin allergies in people with autism.  Are allergies part of autism?  Probably not, but there seem to be a subgroup of people with immune issues that warrant specific treatments for those allergies.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29854952

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2683952