The *Truth* about Thimerosal, exposes the Liars of the *gang*
in [Immunology]
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From: Jan Drew on 28 Oct 2007 00:14 Blood work from kids SHOULD have been taken within two to four hours, NOT days after vaccines, thimerosal crosses the blood brain barrier and is stored in the brain. Kids were given as much as seven to nine shots a day and thimerosal level reaching 100% OVER the acceptable limit. Rogam (sp?) was given to pregnant women, doctors not knowing it contained thimerosal. At a conservative rate of 10% of kids affected, that's 50,000 kids in the US. Rate likely to be higher. The CDC says records of adverse effects can be found, however it was told the hoops people must jump through to get these records. One doctor even submitted 150 pages to get through this red tape, but that was not good enough. Invalid data in reaching the statistics of affected kids. http://www.thecre.com/quality/2005/20050825f_quality.html Thursday, June 16, 2005 Why Won't the CDC Allow Access to the Vaccine Safety Datalink? Memo to CDC: We're not getting our money's worth David Kirby May 23, 2005 Can mercury in vaccines cause autism in children? This hotly disputed question will only burn brighter as more biological evidence surfaces to suggest a link. But a definitive answer might take years. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sitting on a multi-million-dollar database - paid for by you and me - that could probably resolve this contretemps within weeks. They have the data. We paid for the data. Yet we cannot see the data. The information is kept under lock and key within the massive health agency -- as jealously guarded as nuclear secrets. The CDC tells us that they have looked at the data exhaustively and found "no evidence of harm." They implied that their own scientists are perfectly capable of analyzing the data, thank you very much, and outside researchers cannot be trusted to independently verify their analyses, nor to protect the confidentiality of patients whose numbers they would be crunching. But, as any high school student can tell you, the replication of a study is the hallmark of all good science. Without access to the raw data originally used by the CDC researchers, it is impossible to verify their work. All we can do is trust that they got it right. The CDC, which has budgeted nearly $200 million to operate the Vaccine Safety Datalink, spent four years analyzing data from children who received varying amounts of thimerosal in their vaccines. The study went through five different permutations before being published in November, 2003. Early study "generations," which were never meant to see the light of day, showed highly elevated, statistically significant increased risks for autism and other disorders among the kids receiving the most mercury. But by the time the study was published, most of these associations had somehow disappeared entirely. Only two outside researchers, Mark and David Geier, have managed to gain access to the raw CDC data. They faced daunting hurdles to get into the CDC computer center, and nearly crippling software malfunctions once they were inside. But among the data they did manage to mine, they reportedly found highly elevated risks for autism among children in the highest mercury exposure group. So we now have two extremely different interpretations of the same data. It is way past time that the CDC allow a third team - outside researchers completely acceptable to all parties involved in this dispute - into the database to conduct any analyses they see fit. (Patients names are removed from the data, making it exceedingly hard for researchers to identify anyone, even if they desired, which is extremely unlikely in itself). It sounds reasonable, it sounds nice. But don't hold your breath. The CDC is hardly issuing engraved invitations to come trawl its mainframes, despite a harshly written report earlier this year from the Institute of Medicine. The IOM complained of CDC foot dragging, and even insolence, on this matter, and suggested that vaccine officials at the health agency seek "legal counsel." Why? Because the original datasets of children used by the government have, as they say, gone missing. (Actually, the official explanation was that they "were not archived in a standard fashion.") The intentional loss or destruction of taxpayer funded data or datasets is a violation of the Federal Data Quality Act. It is a felony, and someone could go to jail for it. Meanwhile, the data just sit there. Our data, not theirs. CDC officials insist they have an "open mind" on this issue, and that thimerosal has not been ruled out as a possible cause of autism and other disorders. But they also insist that the vaccine safety database yielded no evidence of harm. If that is true, then why are they so reluctant to let someone else in to verify this claim? I cannot answer that question, because the CDC is not talking to me. But I do know that people with nothing to hide are unencumbered by doubts of what others will find if they rifle through their closet. If the data can prove that injecting a known neurotoxin into infants at levels up to 125 times over federal safety limits was a safe and sane thing to do, then why isn't the CDC having an open house for all researchers worth their salt to come on down and have a look-see for themselves? Without access to the raw data, parents who support the thimerosal theory - and their allies in Congress, academia and law - are falling back on other recent studies that show a possible link between mercury and autism. They may not have the epidemiology on their side, yet, but the mounting evidence emerging from the fields of biology and toxicology is becoming too urgent to ignore. Recent published studies have shown: + Autistic children retain mercury at much higher rates than non-autistic kids. + Autistic children lack certain sulfur-based proteins that bind to heavy metals and remove them from the body. + Autistic children have a dysfunctional immune profile generally consistent with mercury toxicity. + The rate of increase in reported autism cases peaked between 1987 and 1992, the same years that new mercury-containing vaccines were added to the U.S. schedule. + Mice with autoimmune disorders react horrifically to mercury exposure from vaccines, whereas typical mice of the same species do not. + In primates, mercury from vaccines was more likely to become trapped in the brain than mercury from fish. + Children who live near mercury spewing power plants have an elevated risk of developing autism. These are all intriguing, to be sure. But what we really need is to get our hands on the raw CDC data - our data. David Kirby is author of "Evidence of Harm" (St. Martin's Press) www.evidenceofharm.com http://www.flu.org.cn/news/2004986362.htm Thimerosal,New study reopens debate on vaccinations Published: Sep ,8,2004 16:21 PM By ### Special to The Wall Street Journal & Medicalnewstoday By Tara Parker-Pope The Wall Street Journal Just a few months after the nation's top medical adviser rejected a link between vaccines and autism, a mouse study has reignited the debate and raised new fears among parents considering vaccinations and flu shots for their kids. For years, a cadre of parents and physicians have contended that thimerosal, an ethyl-mercury compound that has been one of the most widely used vaccine preservatives, is partly responsible for an apparent rise in autism in recent decades. But broad population studies haven't supported the claim. In May, a major report from the Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety Review Committee rejected a link between autism and vaccines. But today, a congressional committee will review a June study from Columbia University, which found that a preservative used in vaccines can cause autism-like symptoms in a specific strain of mice. The research raises questions about whether some people might be genetically vulnerable to the effects of thimerosal. The study also raises questions about a new push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add flu shots to the immunization schedule for school-age kids. The vast majority of flu shots given still contain the preservative. In the study, researchers administered thimerosal to four strains of young mice. Three of the mice strains were unaffected by thimerosal, but the fourth developed problems consistent with autism such as delayed growth, social withdrawal and brain abnormalities. The mice were known to have a genetic susceptibility to mercury. Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of autism-like damage in mice A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months. The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, including: Abnormal response to novel environments; Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased brain size. These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the interaction between genes and the environment over time. Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: mh2092(a)columbia.edu ARTICLE: "Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain-dependent" M Hornig, D Chian, W. I. Lipkin Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15527868 1: Neurotoxicology. 2005 Jan;26(1):1-8. Related Articles, Links Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion: protection with glutathione precursors. James SJ, Slikker W 3rd, Melnyk S, New E, Pogribna M, Jernigan S. Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA. jamesjill(a)uams.edu Thimerosol is an antiseptic containing 49.5% ethyl mercury that has been used for years as a preservative in many infant vaccines and in flu vaccines. Environmental methyl mercury has been shown to be highly neurotoxic, especially to the developing brain. Because mercury has a high affinity for thiol (sulfhydryl (-SH)) groups, the thiol-containing antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), provides the major intracellular defense against mercury-induced neurotoxicity. Cultured neuroblastoma cells were found to have lower levels of GSH and increased sensitivity to thimerosol toxicity compared to glioblastoma cells that have higher basal levels of intracellular GSH. Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity was associated with depletion of intracellular GSH in both cell lines. Pretreatment with 100 microM glutathione ethyl ester or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not methionine, resulted in a significant increase in intracellular GSH in both cell types. Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester or NAC prevented cytotoxicity with exposure to 15 microM Thimerosal. Although Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children's vaccines, it is still present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly, and to children in developing countries. The potential protective effect of GSH or NAC against mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible adjunct therapy to individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing vaccinations. PMID: 15527868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15184908 Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45. Related Articles, Links Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent. Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI. Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. mady.hornig(a)columbia.edu The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex, and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative, thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations. Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed, hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity. PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://poisonevercure.150m.com/autism.htm Autistic children are shown to retain abnormally high concentrations of mercury from environmental sources such as vaccines. ********* (Until recently, the FDA administration concealed their knowledge that thimerosal has been known to cross through the blood-brain barrier and concentrate in the brain).*********** In a recent communication with Congressman Dr. Weldon, CDC conceded that some of the routinely recommended vaccines contained the full amount of thimerosal (25 mcg) as late as 2003. Those are not to expire until towards the end of 2005. There is no existing reason to believe that manufactures have it in mind to completely remove thimerosal from childhood vaccines in the near future. Much to my alarm, documents recently obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO)state that their policy is to lobby strongly for maintaining thimerosal in vaccines as they see it necessary to use childhood vaccines in third world countries. The mentality is that if thimerosal is taken out of American childhood vaccines, the third world countries will not accept thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines. This seems to be a clear disturbing indication that, for whatever reason, WHO desires to inoculate third world country populations with thimerosal containing vaccines. This is an agency that claims to have an interest in making sure that children in developing countries have the best opportunities at life. How is that possible when they are being deliberately poisoned with high concentrations of a neurotoxins? There exists many decades worth of peer-reviewed literature (literally hundreds) on the dangers of thimerosal which include case-reports, animal studies, tissues culture studies, genetic studies, toxicology studies, and biochemical studies. According to the above article, CDC, HHS and AAP warns that 1/166 children have autistic spectrum disorders and even more alarming, 1/6 children have developmental and or behavioral disorders. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Expert Committee on Biological Standardization acknowledges that thimerosal is essential during vaccine production to inactivate certain pathogenic organisms and toxins and prevent microbial growth during vaccine storage and use. (click here to view document). Read the Eli Lilly's, manufacturer of thimerosal, safety data sheet on thimerosal. According to this document, thimerosal will react with strong oxidizing agents and one listed is peroxides. Another vaccine component. Also listed are the effects, including signs and symptoms of exposure such as topical allergic dermatitis, topical hypersensitivity reactions. Early signs of mercury poisoning are noted as nervous system effects which include narrowing of the visual field and numbness in the extremities. "Exposure to mercury in utero and in children can cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination's impairment". Primary routes of entry are listed as inhalation and skin contact. For shipping information, there's no question of the label: POISONS accompanied by the skull and bones picture label. Mercury over stimulates the brain's immune system. Over stimulation of the brain results in activation of the microglia widely dispersed in the brain. When the microglia are activated, they release toxins killing surrounding brains cells. Prolonged stimulation of the microglia by too many vaccines kills far too many brain cells. Though, some may find the reasoning of this imitation form of immunization to make sense and logic, studying the peer review, lab work and studies conducting the safety of such the practice will encourage you to think twice. The dangers of inoculating children and adults with vile microorganisms is potentially fatal. World Health Organization is privy to this information. Other material indicate they know that more children would die and or die quicker without the thimerosal. Sounds insane, but a fact worth keeping in mind and or researching on your own. So, in order to inactivate these microorganisms something even more toxic is needed to do just that. That's where the thimerosal comes in. These facts alone should raise a few eyebrows. Remember, in the records of mercury toxicology, it only takes 35 mcg to kill a rabbit. Now, think about how much is in each vaccine. There's 25mcg in Hib, Pneumococcal (except for Prevnar), DTaP, all Tetanus brands. Then there's 12.5 in the Hep b. How much thimerosal is needed should be your other indicator of the dangers of vaccines. The next indicator is how many doses children receive by school registration. It's one Russian roulette game after another to keep the big bucks packing into the pockets of the big dogs. Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45.Related Articles, Links Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent. Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI. Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. mady.hornig(a)columbia.edu The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex, and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative, thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations. Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed, hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity. PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 1: Neurotoxicology. 1989 Winter;10(4):699-706.Related Articles, Links Effect of organic and inorganic mercuric salts on Na+K+ATPase in different cerebral fractions in control and intrauterine growth-retarded rats: alterations induced by serotonin. Chanez C, Flexor MA, Bourre JM. Unite 26, INSERM, Hopital Fernand WIDAL, Paris, France. An intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) model based on restriction of blood supply to the rat fetus at the 17th day of pregnancy was studied. We investigated in vitro the effects of thimerosal and mercuric chloride on Na+K+ATPase activity in total brain homogenate, synaptosomes and myelin at weaning. In addition, we evaluated the reversal effect of serotonin on mercury-inhibited Na+K+ATPase activity. The toxicity, in terms of inhibition of Na+K+ATPase activity was greater with mercuric chloride than with thimerosal. Synaptosomes and principally myelin were more sensitive to the metal salts than total homogenate. Serotonin stimulated the Na+K+ATPase activity in total brain homogenate and synaptosomes but inhibited the enzyme in the myelin fraction. This effect was more marked in the IUGR group than in the control group. Serotonin (1 mM) added to total homogenate pretreated with the mercury salts produced variable reversal effects. In the synaptosomal fraction reverse effect was noted with serotonin. In myelin fraction, added serotonin increased inhibition caused by thimerosal. PMID: 2562765 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 1: Int J Biochem. 1983;15(1):5-7.Related Articles, Links Rat brain (Na+-K+)ATPase: modulation of its ouabain-sensitive K+-PNPPase activity by thimerosal. Lewis RN, Bowler K. 1. The (Na+ + K+) ATPase activity of a rat brain synaptic membrane preparation was inhibited by 10(-5) M thimerosal. 2. The ouabain inhibitable K+-PNPPase activity of thimerosal treated membranes was compared with that of untreated membranes with respect to sensitivity to temperature, ouabain, K+ and ATP. 3. All those kinetic characteristics were substantially altered by treatment with thimerosal. PMID: 6298022 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] pharmacist friend maintains multiple dose vials of flu vaccine all contain mercury as a preservative/antibacterial. the single dose vials do not have mercury as a preservative, but have had mercury added during the initial processing of the vaccine. the resultant single dose vials have a minute amount of mercury, esp in comparison to the multiple dose vials. one can request one's physician order single dose vial flu vaccine. It is more expensive. (2-5-04) BOSTON, Mass. - According to new research from Northeastern University pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the University of Nebraska, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is an apparent link between exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins and an increased possibility of developing neurological disorders including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The research - the first to offer an explanation for possible causes of two increasingly common childhood neurological disorders - is published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his colleagues found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals (including lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal) potently interrupt growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of carbon atoms). Methylation, in turn, plays a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene expression, and is critical to proper neurological development in infants and children. Scientists and practitioners have identified an increase in diagnoses of autism and ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are largely unknown. In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated folate-dependent methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same time they noted that compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals (like lead and mercury) effectively inhibited these same biochemical pathways at concentrations that are typically found following vaccination or other sources of exposure. By better understanding what happens when infants and children are exposed to these materials, the work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how environmental contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may lead to serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood, including autism and ADHD. "Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like ethanol and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until now, the precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been known," said Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism led us to speculate that environmental exposures, including vaccine additives might contribute to the triggering of this disorder." Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe starting in 2000,was often used for its preservative abilities in multi-dose units of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping cough, tetanus and diptheria. Today, most vaccines carry only trace amounts of it, according to the CDC. But in larger, multi-dose vials of these vaccines, often shipped to and used in third world countries, thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu vaccines still contain thimerosal. Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation. It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest because doctors treating autistic kids are having good success with the administration of methycobalamin. Northeastern University, a private research institution located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented education. Building on its flagship cooperative education program, Northeastern links classroom learning with workplace experience and integrates professional preparation with study in the liberal arts and sciences. U.S. News & World Report, in its annual guide America's Best Colleges, 2003, ranked Northeastern University number one in the country among programs that "require or encourage students to apply what they're learning in the classroom out in the real world." In addition, Northeastern's career services was top ranked by Kaplan Newsweek's "Unofficial Insiders Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges and Universities," 2003 edition. For more information, please visit http://www.northeastern.edu. Paper in full at this link: http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal. Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S, Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation. We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation, while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression. Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+) promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+) and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of neurodevelopmental toxins. PMID: 14745455 [PubMed - in process] Medical News Today Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of autism-like damage in mice 09 Jun 2004 A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months. The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, including: Abnormal response to novel environments; Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased brain size. These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the interaction between genes and the environment over time. Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: mh2092(a)columbia.edu http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/asdexperts.htm http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal. Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S, Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation. We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation, while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression. Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+) promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+) and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of neurodevelopmental toxins. Thimerosal neurotoxicity and protection with N-Acetylcysteine supplementation", Health Sentinel, January 3, 2005, In the 1930s, Eli Lily developed Thimerosal as a preservative and it was widely used in vaccines. Until the removal of Thimerosal, which contains 49.9% ethyl mercury by weight, from most pediatric vaccines in 2001, the source of the largest human exposure to mercury in the US was in children under 18 months of age undergoing routine childhood immunization schedules. Before 2001, a child may have received a cumulative dose of over 200 �g/kg (micrograms per kilogram) in the first 18 months of life. Although Thimerosal has been removed from most childhood vaccines, it is still present in the flu vaccine, which is given to pregnant women, the elderly, and children. Also, many vaccines given to children in developing countries still contain Thimerosal. In the 2005 issue of NeuroToxicology, the authors of a study examine the toxicity of Thimerosal within the body including neurons. They examine the neurotoxic mechanisms, how the body detoxifies mercury, and the use of N-Acetylcysteine, or NAC for short, in facilitating the detoxification pathway within the body. Glutathione, a tripeptide composed of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine, is manufactured in the liver and also in the brain. Normally, the concentrations of glutathione in the cells are quite high providing for detoxification of a variety of heavy metals including mercury. However, when this essential antioxidant is depleted the excess mercury can bind to internal cellular proteins leading to toxic damage. Studies have shown that, "low micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA strand breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death." Although the brain can produce glutathione, it can only manufacture this from its immediate precursor cysteine. The liver, on the other hand, is able through a long series of biochemical steps to create glutathione from methionine. Methionine is an essential amino acid that supplies the body with sulfur and methyl groups. The liver uses a number of enzyme systems along with various B vitamins to produce glutathione. The liver then exports the glutathione to the blood that then is broken down to cystine. Cystine crosses the blood-brain barrier to be used by the brain to make glutathione. Thus, the brain is reliant on the liver to manufacture chemicals to keep it free from toxins. The brain contains neurons and other cells called astrocytes. Astrocytes use the cystine that crosses the blood-brain barrier to make glutathione. The astrocytes then export the glutathione to the space between the cells where it is broken down to cysteine. The neurons take up the cysteine and manufacture glutathione. This complex series of biochemical events is what is necessary to keep the brain free from heavy metal damage. The authors first examined the level of Thimerosal that would cause toxic damage to cells. They found that the higher the concentration of Thimerosal the greater the number of cells that were killed although the nerve cell response occurred with only a 3 hour exposure, whereas the other cell line required a 48 hour exposure demonstrating that nerve cells are more sensitive to Thimerosal toxicity. "In both cell lines, a progressive increase in cytotoxicity (decrease in viability) was observed when Thimerosal dose was progressively doubled from 2.5 �mol/L [micromoles per liter] to 5, 10, and 20 �mol/L. Viability was reduced more than 50% in both cell lines with exposure to 10 �mol/L Thimerosal and less than 10% of cells survived a dose of 20 �mol/L." The authors then pretreated cells with NAC before adding a dose of 15 �mol/L Thimerosal. They found that, "Thimerosal alone induced more than a 6-fold decrease in viability", and that NAC, "provided significant protection against cell death". The authors note, "Thimerosal induces oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating mitochondrial cell death pathways. A subsequent study using cultured human neuron and fibroblast cell lines similarly showed that low micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA strand breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death." The authors conclude that, "numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of NAC in increasing intracellular glutathione levels and reducing oxidative stress in humans. Since cytotoxicity with both ethyl- and methyl- mercury have been shown to be mediated by glutathione depletion, dietary supplements that increase intracellular glutathione could be envisioned as an effective intervention to reduce previous or anticipated exposure to mercury. This approach would be especially valuable in the elderly and in pregnant women receiving Rho D immunoglobulin shots, and individuals who regularly consume mercury-containing fish." SOURCE: NeuroToxicology, Vol. 26, 2005, pp. 1-8 http://www.childproofing.org/vaccine&autism.html New Research Suggests Link Between Vaccine Ingredients and Autism, ADHD [Source: Northeastern University.] http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/503041/NewsWise Newswise - According to new research from Northeastern University pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the University of Nebraska, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is an apparent link between exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins and an increased possibility of developing neurological disorders including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The research - the first to offer an explanation for possible causes of two increasingly common childhood neurological disorders - is published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his colleagues found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals (including lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal) potently interrupt growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of carbon atoms). Methylation, in turn, plays a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene expression, and is critical to proper neurological development in infants and children. Scientists and practitioners have identified an increase in diagnoses of autism and ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are largely unknown. In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated folate-dependent methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same time they noted that compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals (like lead and mercury) effectively inhibited these same biochemical pathways at concentrations that are typically found following vaccination or other sources of exposure. By better understanding what happens when infants and children are exposed to these materials, the work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how environmental contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may lead to serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood, including autism and ADHD. "Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like ethanol and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until now, the precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been known," said Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism led us to speculate that environmental exposures, including vaccine additives might contribute to the triggering of this disorder." Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe starting in 2000, was often used for its preservative abilities in multi-dose units of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping cough, tetanus and diptheria. Today, most vaccines carry only trace amounts of it, according to the CDC. But in larger, multi-dose vials of these vaccines, often shipped to and used in third world countries, thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu vaccines still contain thimerosal. Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation. It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest because doctors treating autistic kids are having good success with the administration of methycobalamin. http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/thimerosal.htm Medical News Today Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of autism-like damage in mice 09 Jun 2004 A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months. The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, including: Abnormal response to novel environments; Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased brain size. These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the interaction between genes and the environment over time. Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: mh2092(a)columbia.edu
From: Kevysmom on 27 Oct 2007 23:34 If they will just spend the time and read, they wouldnt be so ignorant. Thanks Jan!! On Oct 28, 12:14 am, "Jan Drew" <jdrew1...(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > Blood work from kids SHOULD have been taken within two to four hours, NOT > days > after vaccines, thimerosal crosses the blood brain barrier and is stored in > the > brain. > > Kids were given as much as seven to nine shots a day and thimerosal level > reaching 100% OVER the acceptable limit. > > Rogam (sp?) was given to pregnant women, doctors not knowing it contained > thimerosal. > > At a conservative rate of 10% of kids affected, that's 50,000 kids in the > US. > Rate likely to be higher. > > The CDC says records of adverse effects can be found, however it was told > the > hoops people must jump through to get these records. One doctor even > submitted > 150 pages to get through this red tape, but that was not good enough. > > Invalid data in reaching the statistics of affected kids. > > http://www.thecre.com/quality/2005/20050825f_quality.html > > Thursday, June 16, 2005 > Why Won't the CDC Allow Access to the Vaccine Safety Datalink? > > Memo to CDC: We're not getting our money's worth > David Kirby > May 23, 2005 > > Can mercury in vaccines cause autism in children? This hotly disputed > question will only burn brighter as more biological evidence surfaces to > suggest a link. But a definitive answer might take years. Meanwhile, the > Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sitting on a > multi-million-dollar database - paid for by you and me - that could probably > resolve this contretemps within weeks. > > They have the data. We paid for the data. Yet we cannot see the data. The > information is kept under lock and key within the massive health agency -- > as jealously guarded as nuclear secrets. > > The CDC tells us that they have looked at the data exhaustively and found > "no evidence of harm." They implied that their own scientists are perfectly > capable of analyzing the data, thank you very much, and outside researchers > cannot be trusted to independently verify their analyses, nor to protect the > confidentiality of patients whose numbers they would be crunching. > > But, as any high school student can tell you, the replication of a study is > the hallmark of all good science. Without access to the raw data originally > used by the CDC researchers, it is impossible to verify their work. All we > can do is trust that they got it right. > > The CDC, which has budgeted nearly $200 million to operate the Vaccine > Safety Datalink, spent four years analyzing data from children who received > varying amounts of thimerosal in their vaccines. The study went through five > different permutations before being published in November, 2003. Early study > "generations," which were never meant to see the light of day, showed highly > elevated, statistically significant increased risks for autism and other > disorders among the kids receiving the most mercury. > > But by the time the study was published, most of these associations had > somehow disappeared entirely. > > Only two outside researchers, Mark and David Geier, have managed to gain > access to the raw CDC data. They faced daunting hurdles to get into the CDC > computer center, and nearly crippling software malfunctions once they were > inside. But among the data they did manage to mine, they reportedly found > highly elevated risks for autism among children in the highest mercury > exposure group. > > So we now have two extremely different interpretations of the same data. It > is way past time that the CDC allow a third team - outside researchers > completely acceptable to all parties involved in this dispute - into the > database to conduct any analyses they see fit. (Patients names are removed > from the data, making it exceedingly hard for researchers to identify > anyone, even if they desired, which is extremely unlikely in itself). > > It sounds reasonable, it sounds nice. But don't hold your breath. The CDC is > hardly issuing engraved invitations to come trawl its mainframes, despite a > harshly written report earlier this year from the Institute of Medicine. The > IOM complained of CDC foot dragging, and even insolence, on this matter, and > suggested that vaccine officials at the health agency seek "legal counsel.." > Why? Because the original datasets of children used by the government have, > as they say, gone missing. (Actually, the official explanation was that they > "were not archived in a standard fashion.") The intentional loss or > destruction of taxpayer funded data or datasets is a violation of the > Federal Data Quality Act. It is a felony, and someone could go to jail for > it. > > Meanwhile, the data just sit there. Our data, not theirs. CDC officials > insist they have an "open mind" on this issue, and that thimerosal has not > been ruled out as a possible cause of autism and other disorders. But they > also insist that the vaccine safety database yielded no evidence of harm. > > If that is true, then why are they so reluctant to let someone else in to > verify this claim? I cannot answer that question, because the CDC is not > talking to me. But I do know that people with nothing to hide are > unencumbered by doubts of what others will find if they rifle through their > closet. > > If the data can prove that injecting a known neurotoxin into infants at > levels up to 125 times over federal safety limits was a safe and sane thing > to do, then why isn't the CDC having an open house for all researchers worth > their salt to come on down and have a look-see for themselves? > > Without access to the raw data, parents who support the thimerosal theory - > and their allies in Congress, academia and law - are falling back on other > recent studies that show a possible link between mercury and autism. They > may not have the epidemiology on their side, yet, but the mounting evidence > emerging from the fields of biology and toxicology is becoming too urgent to > ignore. Recent published studies have shown: > > + Autistic children retain mercury at much higher rates than non-autistic > kids. > > + Autistic children lack certain sulfur-based proteins that bind to heavy > metals and remove them from the body. > > + Autistic children have a dysfunctional immune profile generally consistent > with mercury toxicity. > > + The rate of increase in reported autism cases peaked between 1987 and > 1992, the same years that new mercury-containing vaccines were added to the > U.S. schedule. > > + Mice with autoimmune disorders react horrifically to mercury exposure from > vaccines, whereas typical mice of the same species do not. > > + In primates, mercury from vaccines was more likely to become trapped in > the brain than mercury from fish. > > + Children who live near mercury spewing power plants have an elevated risk > of developing autism. > > These are all intriguing, to be sure. But what we really need is to get our > hands on the raw CDC data - our data. > > David Kirby is author of "Evidence of Harm" (St. Martin's Press)www.evidenceofharm.comhttp://www.flu.org.cn/news/2004986362.htm > Thimerosal,New study reopens debate on vaccinations > Published: Sep ,8,2004 16:21 PM > By ### > Special to The Wall Street Journal & Medicalnewstoday > > By Tara Parker-Pope > The Wall Street Journal > > Just a few months after the nation's top medical adviser rejected a link > between vaccines and autism, a mouse study has reignited the debate and > raised new fears among parents considering vaccinations and flu shots for > their kids. > > For years, a cadre of parents and physicians have contended that thimerosal, > an ethyl-mercury compound that has been one of the most widely used vaccine > preservatives, is partly responsible for an apparent rise in autism in > recent decades. But broad population studies haven't supported the claim. In > May, a major report from the Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety > Review Committee rejected a link between autism and vaccines. > > But today, a congressional committee will review a June study from Columbia > University, which found that a preservative used in vaccines can cause > autism-like symptoms in a specific strain of mice. The research raises > questions about whether some people might be genetically vulnerable to the > effects of thimerosal. > > The study also raises questions about a new push by the Centers for Disease > Control and Prevention to add flu shots to the immunization schedule for > school-age kids. The vast majority of flu shots given still contain the > preservative. > > In the study, researchers administered thimerosal to four strains of young > mice. Three of the mice strains were unaffected by thimerosal, but the > fourth developed problems consistent with autism such as delayed growth, > social withdrawal and brain abnormalities. The mice were known to have a > genetic susceptibility to mercury. > > Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of > autism-like damage in mice > > A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury > preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to > the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible > mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of > low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in the > developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic > predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental > triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn > Greene > > Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, > Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking > increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children diagnosed > with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot account for > this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, led by Dr. Mady > Hornig, created an animal model to explore the relationship between > thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing that the combination of > genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to mercury in childhood > vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. > > Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero > exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in > susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse > model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, with > doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. boys at > age two, four, six, and twelve months. > > The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice with > thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the behavioral and > neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, including: > > Abnormal response to novel environments; > > Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased > exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain > architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased > brain size. > > These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating to > environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development of > rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has been > reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some > influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic > susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case > thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of > effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, > stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can be > exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues > gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective > human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the interaction > between genes and the environment over time. > > Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line > publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 > > For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, > Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious > Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United States > of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: > mh2...(a)columbia.edu > > ARTICLE: "Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse > strain-dependent" > > M Hornig, D Chian, W. I. Lipkin > > Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Mailman School of Public Health, > Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032 > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&.... > > 1: Neurotoxicology. 2005 Jan;26(1):1-8. Related Articles, Links > > Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion: > protection with glutathione precursors. > > James SJ, Slikker W 3rd, Melnyk S, New E, Pogribna M, Jernigan S. > > Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and > Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA. > jamesj...(a)uams.edu > > Thimerosol is an antiseptic containing 49.5% ethyl mercury that has been > used for years as a preservative in many infant vaccines and in flu > vaccines. Environmental methyl mercury has been shown to be highly > neurotoxic, especially to the developing brain. Because mercury has a high > affinity for thiol (sulfhydryl (-SH)) groups, the thiol-containing > antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), provides the major intracellular defense > against mercury-induced neurotoxicity. Cultured neuroblastoma cells were > found to have lower levels of GSH and increased sensitivity to thimerosol > toxicity compared to glioblastoma cells that have higher basal levels of > intracellular GSH. Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity was associated with > depletion of intracellular GSH in both cell lines. Pretreatment with 100 > microM glutathione ethyl ester or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not > methionine, resulted in a significant increase in intracellular GSH in both > cell types. Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester > or NAC prevented cytotoxicity with exposure to 15 microM Thimerosal. > Although Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children's vaccines, > it is still present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly, > and to children in developing countries. The potential protective effect of > GSH or NAC against mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible > adjunct therapy to individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing > vaccinations. > > PMID: 15527868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&.... > > Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45. Related Articles, Links > > Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent. > > Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI. > > Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of > Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New > York, NY 10032, USA. mady.hor...(a)columbia.edu > > The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed > by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex, > and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability > affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative, > thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a > highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus > on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family > history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We > hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice > following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations. > Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced > locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed, > hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and > transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were > not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a > model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity. > > PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > http://poisonevercure.150m.com/autism.htm > > Autistic children are shown to retain abnormally high concentrations of > mercury from environmental sources such as vaccines. > > ********* (Until recently, the FDA administration concealed their knowledge > that thimerosal has been known to cross through the blood-brain barrier and > concentrate in the brain).*********** > > In a recent communication with Congressman Dr. Weldon, CDC conceded that > some of the routinely recommended vaccines contained the full amount of > thimerosal (25 mcg) as late as 2003. Those are not to expire until towards > the end of 2005. There is no existing reason to believe that manufactures > have it in mind to completely remove thimerosal from childhood vaccines in > the near future. Much to my alarm, documents recently obtained from the > World Health Organization (WHO)state that their policy is to lobby strongly > for maintaining thimerosal in vaccines as they see it necessary to use > childhood vaccines in third world countries. The mentality is that if > thimerosal is taken out of American childhood vaccines, the third world > countries will not accept thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines. This > seems to be a clear disturbing indication that, for whatever reason, WHO > desires to inoculate third world country populations with thimerosal > containing vaccines. This is an agency that claims to have an interest in > making sure that children in developing countries have the best > opportunities at life. How is that possible when they are being > deliberately poisoned with high concentrations of a neurotoxins? > There exists many decades worth of peer-reviewed literature (literally > hundreds) on the dangers of thimerosal which include case-reports, animal > studies, tissues culture studies, genetic studies, toxicology studies, and > biochemical studies. According to the above article, CDC, HHS and AAP warns > that 1/166 children have autistic spectrum disorders and even more alarming, > 1/6 children have developmental and or behavioral disorders. > The World Health Organization's (WHO) Expert Committee on Biological > Standardization acknowledges that thimerosal is essential during vaccine > production to inactivate certain pathogenic organisms and toxins and prevent > microbial growth during vaccine storage and use. (click here to view > document). Read the Eli Lilly's, manufacturer of thimerosal, safety data > sheet on thimerosal. According to this document, thimerosal will react with > strong oxidizing agents and one listed is peroxides. Another vaccine > component. Also listed are the effects, including signs and symptoms of > exposure such as topical allergic dermatitis, topical hypersensitivity > reactions. Early signs of mercury poisoning are noted as nervous system > effects which include narrowing of the visual field and numbness in the > extremities. "Exposure to mercury in utero and in children can cause mild > to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination's > impairment". Primary routes of entry are listed as inhalation and skin > contact. For shipping information, there's no question of the label: > POISONS accompanied by the skull and bones picture label. > Mercury over stimulates the brain's immune system. Over stimulation of the > brain results in activation of the microglia widely dispersed in the brain. > When the microglia are activated, they release toxins killing surrounding > brains cells. Prolonged stimulation of the microglia by too many vaccines > kills far too many brain cells. > Though, some may find the reasoning of this imitation form of immunization > to make sense and logic, studying the peer review, lab work and studies > conducting the safety of such the practice will encourage you to think > twice. The dangers of inoculating children and adults with vile > microorganisms is potentially fatal. World Health Organization is privy to > this information. Other material indicate they know that more children > would die and or die quicker without the thimerosal. Sounds insane, but a > fact worth keeping in mind and or researching on your own. So, in order to > inactivate these microorganisms something even more toxic is needed to do > just that. That's where the thimerosal comes in. These facts alone should > raise a few eyebrows. Remember, in the records of mercury toxicology, it > only takes 35 mcg to kill a rabbit. Now, think about how much is in each > vaccine. There's 25mcg in Hib, Pneumococcal (except for Prevnar), DTaP, all > Tetanus brands. Then there's 12.5 in the Hep b. How much thimerosal is > needed should be your other indicator of the dangers of vaccines. The next > indicator is how many doses children receive by school registration. > It's one Russian roulette game after another to keep the big bucks packing > into the pockets of the big dogs. > > Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45.Related Articles, Links > > Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent. > > Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI. > > Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of > Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New > York, NY 10032, USA. mady.hor...(a)columbia.edu > > The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed > by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex, > and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability > affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative, > thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a > highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus > on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family > history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We > hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice > following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations. > Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced > locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed, > hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and > transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were > not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a > model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity. > > PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > 1: Neurotoxicology. 1989 Winter;10(4):699-706.Related Articles, Links > > Effect of organic and inorganic mercuric salts on Na+K+ATPase in different > cerebral fractions in control and intrauterine growth-retarded rats: > alterations induced by serotonin. > > Chanez C, Flexor MA, Bourre JM. > > Unite 26, INSERM, Hopital Fernand WIDAL, Paris, France. > > An intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) model based on restriction of blood > supply to the rat fetus at the 17th day of pregnancy was studied. We > investigated in vitro the effects of thimerosal and mercuric chloride on > Na+K+ATPase activity in total brain homogenate, synaptosomes and myelin at > weaning. In addition, we evaluated the reversal effect of serotonin on > mercury-inhibited Na+K+ATPase activity. The toxicity, in terms of inhibition > of Na+K+ATPase activity was greater with mercuric chloride than with > thimerosal. Synaptosomes and principally myelin were more sensitive to the > metal salts than total homogenate. Serotonin stimulated the Na+K+ATPase > activity in total brain homogenate and synaptosomes but inhibited the enzyme > in the myelin fraction. This effect was more marked in the IUGR group than > in the control group. Serotonin (1 mM) added to total homogenate pretreated > with the mercury salts produced variable reversal effects. In the > synaptosomal fraction reverse effect was noted with serotonin. In myelin > fraction, added serotonin increased inhibition caused by thimerosal. > > PMID: 2562765 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > 1: Int J Biochem. 1983;15(1):5-7.Related Articles, Links > > Rat brain (Na+-K+)ATPase: modulation of its ouabain-sensitive K+-PNPPase > activity by thimerosal. > > Lewis RN, Bowler K. > > 1. The (Na+ + K+) ATPase activity of a rat brain synaptic membrane > preparation was inhibited by 10(-5) M thimerosal. 2. The ouabain inhibitable > K+-PNPPase activity of thimerosal treated membranes was compared with that > of untreated membranes with respect to sensitivity to temperature, ouabain, > K+ and ATP. 3. All those kinetic characteristics were substantially altered > by treatment with thimerosal. > > PMID: 6298022 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > pharmacist friend maintains multiple dose vials of flu vaccine all > contain mercury as a preservative/antibacterial. the single dose vials > do not have mercury as a preservative, but have had mercury added > during the initial processing of the vaccine. the resultant single > dose vials have a minute amount of mercury, esp in comparison to the > multiple dose vials. one can request one's physician order single > dose vial flu vaccine. It is more expensive. > (2-5-04) BOSTON, Mass. - According to new research from Northeastern > University pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the > University of Nebraska, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is > an apparent link between exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins > and an increased possibility of developing neurological disorders > including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The > research - the first to offer an explanation for possible causes of > two increasingly common childhood neurological disorders - is > published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal Molecular > Psychiatry. > > Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his > colleagues found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy > metals (including lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing > preservative thimerosal) potently interrupt growth factor signaling, > causing adverse effects on methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of > carbon atoms). Methylation, in turn, plays a significant role in > regulating normal DNA function and gene expression, and is critical to > proper neurological development in infants and children. Scientists and > practitioners have identified an increase in diagnoses of autism and > ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are largely unknown. > > In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1 > (IGF-1) and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated > folate-dependent methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same > time they noted that compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals > (like lead and mercury) effectively inhibited these same biochemical > pathways at concentrations that are typically found following > vaccination or other sources of exposure. By better understanding what > happens when infants and children are exposed to these materials, the > work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how environmental > contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may lead to > serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood, including > autism and ADHD. > > "Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like > ethanol and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until > now, the precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been > known," said Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism > led us to speculate that environmental exposures, including vaccine > additives might contribute to the triggering of this disorder." > > Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe > starting in 2000,was often used for its preservative abilities in > multi-dose units of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping > cough, tetanus and diptheria. Today, most vaccines carry only trace > amounts of it, according to the CDC. But in larger, multi-dose vials of > these vaccines, often shipped to and used in third world countries, > thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu vaccines still contain > thimerosal. > > Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the > mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent > methylation. It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form > of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest > because doctors treating autistic kids are having good success with the > administration of methycobalamin. > > Northeastern University, a private research institution located in > Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented > education. Building on its flagship cooperative education program, > Northeastern links classroom learning with workplace experience and > integrates professional preparation with study in the liberal arts and > sciences. U.S. News & World Report, in its annual guide America's > Best Colleges, 2003, ranked Northeastern University number one in the > country among programs that "require or encourage students to apply > what they're learning in the classroom out in the real world." In > addition, Northeastern's career services was top ranked by Kaplan > Newsweek's "Unofficial Insiders Guide to the 320 Most Interesting > Colleges and Universities," 2003 edition. For more information, please > visithttp://www.northeastern.edu. > > Paper in full at this link: > > http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf > Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links > > Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and > dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal. > > Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S, > Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC. > > Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, > MA 02115, USA. > > Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth > factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such > as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising > the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation. > We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and > dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and > folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human > neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent > mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation, > while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression. > Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its > effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of > dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS > activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+) > promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+) > and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative > thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation > with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline > a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and > thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The > potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum > and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of > neurodevelopmental toxins. > > PMID: 14745455 [PubMed - in process] > > Medical News Today > Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of > autism-like damage in mice > 09 Jun 2004 > > A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury > preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to > the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible > mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of > low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in > the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic > predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental > triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn > Greene > > Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, > Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking > increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children > diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot > account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, > led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the > relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing > that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure > to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. > > Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero > exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in > susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse > model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, > with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. > boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months. > > The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice > with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the > behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, > including: > > Abnormal response to novel environments; > > Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased > exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain > architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased > brain size. > > These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating > to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development > of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has > been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some > influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic > susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case > thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of > effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, > stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can > be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues > gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective > human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the > interaction between genes and the environment over time. > > Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line > publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 > > For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, > Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious > Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United > States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: > mh2...(a)columbia.edu > > http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/asdexperts.htm > > http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf > > Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links > > Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and > dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal. > > Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S, > Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC. > > Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, > MA 02115, USA. > > Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth > factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such > as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising > the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation. > We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and > dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and > folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human > neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent > mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation, > while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression. > Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its > effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of > dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS > activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+) > promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+) > and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative > thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation > with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline > a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and > thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The > potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum > and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of > neurodevelopmental toxins. > > Thimerosal neurotoxicity and protection with > N-Acetylcysteine supplementation", Health Sentinel, January 3, 2005, > > In the 1930s, Eli Lily developed Thimerosal as a preservative and it > was widely used in vaccines. Until the removal of Thimerosal, which > contains 49.9% ethyl mercury by weight, from most pediatric vaccines in > 2001, the source of the largest human exposure to mercury in the US was > in children under 18 months of age undergoing routine childhood > immunization schedules. Before 2001, a child may have received a > cumulative dose of over 200 µg/kg (micrograms per kilogram) in the > first 18 months of life. > > Although Thimerosal has been removed from most childhood vaccines, it > is still present in the flu vaccine, which is given to pregnant women, > the elderly, and children. Also, many vaccines given to children in > developing countries still contain Thimerosal. > > In the 2005 issue of NeuroToxicology, the authors of a study examine > the toxicity of Thimerosal within the body including neurons. They > examine the neurotoxic mechanisms, how the body detoxifies mercury, and > the use of N-Acetylcysteine, or NAC for short, in facilitating the > detoxification pathway within the body. > > Glutathione, a tripeptide composed of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine, > is manufactured in the liver and also in the brain. Normally, the > concentrations of glutathione in the cells are quite high providing for > detoxification of a variety of heavy metals including mercury. However, > when this essential antioxidant is depleted the excess mercury can bind > to internal cellular proteins leading to toxic damage. Studies have > shown that, "low micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA > strand breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death." > > Although the brain can produce glutathione, it can only manufacture > this from its immediate precursor cysteine. The liver, on the other > hand, is able through a long series of biochemical steps to create > glutathione from methionine. Methionine is an essential amino acid that > supplies the body with sulfur and methyl groups. The liver uses a > number of enzyme systems along with various B vitamins to produce > glutathione. The liver then exports the glutathione to the blood that > then is broken down to cystine. Cystine crosses the blood-brain barrier > to be used by the brain to make glutathione. Thus, the brain is reliant > on the liver to manufacture chemicals to keep it free from toxins. > > The brain contains neurons and other cells called astrocytes. > Astrocytes use the cystine that crosses the blood-brain barrier to make > glutathione. The astrocytes then export the glutathione to the space > between the cells where it is broken down to cysteine. The neurons take > up the cysteine and manufacture glutathione. This complex series of > biochemical events is what is necessary to keep the brain free from > heavy metal damage. > > The authors first examined the level of Thimerosal that would cause > toxic damage to cells. They found that the higher the concentration of > Thimerosal the greater the number of cells that were killed although > the nerve cell response occurred with only a 3 hour exposure, whereas > the other cell line required a 48 hour exposure demonstrating that > nerve cells are more sensitive to Thimerosal toxicity. "In both cell > lines, a progressive increase in cytotoxicity (decrease in viability) > was observed when Thimerosal dose was progressively doubled from 2.5 > µmol/L [micromoles per liter] to 5, 10, and 20 µmol/L. Viability was > reduced more than 50% in both cell lines with exposure to 10 µmol/L > Thimerosal and less than 10% of cells survived a dose of 20 µmol/L." > > The authors then pretreated cells with NAC before adding a dose of 15 > µmol/L Thimerosal. They found that, "Thimerosal alone induced more > than a 6-fold decrease in viability", and that NAC, "provided > significant protection against cell death". The authors note, > "Thimerosal induces oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating > mitochondrial cell death pathways. A subsequent study using cultured > human neuron and fibroblast cell lines similarly showed that low > micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA strand breaks, > caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death." > > The authors conclude that, "numerous clinical studies have > demonstrated the efficacy of NAC in increasing intracellular > glutathione levels and reducing oxidative stress in humans. Since > cytotoxicity with both ethyl- and methyl- mercury have been shown to be > mediated by glutathione depletion, dietary supplements that increase > intracellular glutathione could be envisioned as an effective > intervention to reduce previous or anticipated exposure to mercury. > This approach would be especially valuable in the elderly and in > pregnant women receiving Rho D immunoglobulin shots, and individuals > who regularly consume mercury-containing fish." > > SOURCE: NeuroToxicology, Vol. 26, 2005, pp. 1-8 > > http://www.childproofing.org/vaccine&autism.html > > New Research Suggests Link Between Vaccine Ingredients and Autism, ADHD > [Source: Northeastern University.]http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/503041/NewsWise > > Newswise - According to new research from Northeastern University pharmacy > professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the University of Nebraska, > Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is an apparent link between > exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins and an increased possibility > of developing neurological disorders including autism and attention-deficit > hyperactivity disorder. The research - the first to offer an explanation for > possible causes of two increasingly common childhood neurological > disorders - is published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal > Molecular Psychiatry. > > Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his colleagues > found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals (including > lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal) > potently interrupt growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on > methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of carbon atoms). Methylation, in > turn, plays a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene > expression, and is critical to proper neurological development in infants > and children. Scientists and practitioners have identified an increase in > diagnoses of autism and ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are > largely unknown. > > In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) > and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated folate-dependent > methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same time they noted that > compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals (like lead and mercury) > effectively inhibited these same biochemical pathways at concentrations that > are typically found following vaccination or other sources of exposure. > > By better understanding what happens when infants and children are exposed > to these materials, the work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how > environmental contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may > lead to serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood, > including autism and ADHD. > > "Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like ethanol > and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until now, the > precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been known," said > Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism led us to speculate > that environmental exposures, including vaccine additives might contribute > to the triggering of this disorder." > > Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe starting > in 2000, was often used for its preservative abilities in multi-dose units > of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping cough, tetanus and > diptheria. > > Today, most vaccines carry only trace amounts of it, according to the CDC. > But in larger, multi-dose vials of these vaccines, often shipped to and used > in third world countries, thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu > vaccines still contain thimerosal. > > Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the > mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation. > > It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 > (methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest because doctors treating > autistic kids are having good success with the administration of > methycobalamin. > > http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/thimerosal.htm > > Medical News Today > Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of > autism-like damage in mice > 09 Jun 2004 > > A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury > preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to > the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible > mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of > low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in > the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic > predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental > triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn > Greene > > Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health, > Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking > increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children > diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot > account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, > led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the > relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing > that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure > to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity. > > Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero > exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in > susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse > model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, > with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. > boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months. > > The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice > with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the > behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, > including: > > Abnormal response to novel environments; > > Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased > exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain > architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased > brain size. > > These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating > to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development > of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has > been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some > influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic > susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case > thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of > effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population, > stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can > be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues > gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective > human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the > interaction between genes and the environment over time. > > Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line > publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529 > > For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD, > Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious > Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United > States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail: > mh2...(a)columbia.edu
From: Peter Moran on 28 Oct 2007 02:59 Jan (or anyone) what is happening to the rates of autism right now in those countries where the mercury content of vaccines has been considerably reduced? Have you looked at this? If not, why not? Surely this is about to provide fairly conclusive evidence one way or the other on the thiomerosal/autism question. For example Denmark has not used thiomerosal containing vaccines since the early 1990s, IIRC. PM "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:j%SUi.1384$%13.563(a)newssvr22.news.prodigy.net... > Blood work from kids SHOULD have been taken within two to four hours, NOT > days > after vaccines, thimerosal crosses the blood brain barrier and is stored > in the > brain. > > > Kids were given as much as seven to nine shots a day and thimerosal level > reaching 100% OVER the acceptable limit. > > > Rogam (sp?) was given to pregnant women, doctors not knowing it contained > thimerosal. > > > At a conservative rate of 10% of kids affected, that's 50,000 kids in the > US. > Rate likely to be higher. > > > The CDC says records of adverse effects can be found, however it was told > the > hoops people must jump through to get these records. One doctor even > submitted > 150 pages to get through this red tape, but that was not good enough. > > > Invalid data in reaching the statistics of affected kids. > > http://www.thecre.com/quality/2005/20050825f_quality.html > > Thursday, June 16, 2005 > Why Won't the CDC Allow Access to the Vaccine Safety Datalink? > > > Memo to CDC: We're not getting our money's worth > David Kirby > May 23, 2005 > > Can mercury in vaccines cause autism in children? This hotly disputed > question will only burn brighter as more biological evidence surfaces to > suggest a link. But a definitive answer might take years. Meanwhile, the > Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sitting on a > multi-million-dollar database - paid for by you and me - that could > probably resolve this contretemps within weeks. > > They have the data. We paid for the data. Yet we cannot see the data. The > information is kept under lock and key within the massive health agency -- > as jealously guarded as nuclear secrets. > > The CDC tells us that they have looked at the data exhaustively and found > "no evidence of harm." They implied that their own scientists are > perfectly capable of analyzing the data, thank you very much, and outside > researchers cannot be trusted to independently verify their analyses, nor > to protect the confidentiality of patients whose numbers they would be > crunching. > > But, as any high school student can tell you, the replication of a study > is the hallmark of all good science. Without access to the raw data > originally used by the CDC researchers, it is impossible to verify their > work. All we can do is trust that they got it right. > > The CDC, which has budgeted nearly $200 million to operate the Vaccine > Safety Datalink, spent four years analyzing data from children who > received varying amounts of thimerosal in their vaccines. The study went > through five different permutations before being published in November, > 2003. Early study "generations," which were never meant to see the light > of day, showed highly elevated, statistically significant increased risks > for autism and other disorders among the kids receiving the most mercury. > > But by the time the study was published, most of these associations had > somehow disappeared entirely. > > Only two outside researchers, Mark and David Geier, have managed to gain > access to the raw CDC data. They faced daunting hurdles to get into the > CDC computer center, and nearly crippling software malfunctions once they > were inside. But among the data they did manage to mine, they reportedly > found highly elevated risks for autism among children in the highest > mercury exposure group. > > So we now have two extremely different interpretations of the same data. > It is way past time that the CDC allow a third team - outside researchers > completely acceptable to all parties involved in this dispute - into the > database to conduct any analyses they see fit. (Patients names are removed > from the data, making it exceedingly hard for researchers to identify > anyone, even if they desired, which is extremely unlikely in itself). > > It sounds reasonable, it sounds nice. But don't hold your breath. The CDC > is hardly issuing engraved invitations to come trawl its mainframes, > despite a harshly written report earlier this year from the Institute of > Medicine. The IOM complained of CDC foot dragging, and even insolence, on > this matter, and suggested that vaccine officials at the health agency > seek "legal counsel." Why? Because the original datasets of children used > by the government have, as they say, gone missing. (Actually, the official > explanation was that they "were not archived in a standard fashion.") The > intentional loss or destruction of taxpayer funded data or datasets is a > violation of the Federal Data Quality Act. It is a felony, and someone > could go to jail for it. > > Meanwhile, the data just sit there. Our data, not theirs. CDC officials > insist they have an "open mind" on this issue, and that thimerosal has not > been ruled out as a possible cause of autism and other disorders. But they > also insist that the vaccine safety database yielded no evidence of harm. > > If that is true, then why are they so reluctant to let someone else in to > verify this claim? I cannot answer that question, because the CDC is not > talking to me. But I do know that people with nothing to hide are > unencumbered by doubts of what others will find if they rifle through > their closet. > > If the data can prove that injecting a known neurotoxin into infants at > levels up to 125 times over federal safety limits was a safe and sane > thing to do, then why isn't the CDC having an open house for all > researchers worth their salt to come on down and have a look-see for > themselves? > > Without access to the raw data, parents who support the thimerosal > theory - and their allies in Congress, academia and law - are falling back > on other recent studies that show a possible link between mercury and > autism. They may not have the epidemiology on their side, yet, but the > mounting evidence emerging from the fields of biology and toxicology is > becoming too urgent to ignore. Recent published studies have shown: > > + Autistic children retain mercury at much higher rates than non-autistic > kids. > > + Autistic children lack certain sulfur-based proteins that bind to heavy > metals and remove them from the body. > > + Autistic children have a dysfunctional immune profile generally > consistent with mercury toxicity. > > + The rate of increase in reported autism cases peaked between 1987 and > 1992, the same years that new mercury-containing vaccines were added to > the U.S. schedule. > > + Mice with autoimmune disorders react horrifically to mercury exposure > from vaccines, whereas typical mice of the same species do not. > > + In primates, mercury from vaccines was more likely to become trapped in > the brain than mercury from fish. > > + Children who live near mercury spewing power plants have an elevated > risk of developing autism. > > These are all intriguing, to be sure. But what we really need is to get > our hands on the raw CDC data - our data. > > David Kirby is author of "Evidence of Harm" (St. Martin's Press) > www.evidenceofharm.com > http://www.flu.org.cn/news/2004986362.htm > Thimerosal,New study reopens debate on vaccinations > Published: Sep ,8,2004 16:21 PM > By ### > Special to The Wall Street Journal & Medicalnewstoday > > > > By Tara Parker-Pope > The Wall Street Journal > > Just a few months after the nation's top medical adviser rejected a link > between vaccines and autism, a mouse study has reignited the debate and > raised new fears among parents considering vaccinations and flu shots for > their kids. > > > For years, a cadre of parents and physicians have contended that > thimerosal, > an ethyl-mercury compound that has been one of the most widely used > vaccine > preservatives, is partly responsible for an apparent rise in autism in > recent decades. But broad population studies haven't supported the claim. > In > May, a major report from the Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety > Review Committee rejected a link between autism and vaccines. > > > > But today, a congressional committee will review a June study from > Columbia > University, which found that a preservative used in vaccines can cause > autism-like symptoms in a specific strain of mice. The research raises > questions about whether some people might be genetically vulnerable to the > effects of thimerosal. &g |