Volume 6, Spring 2008 - Saddleback College

Fall 2007 Biology 3A Abstracts
more prone to Candida contamination in their samples
due to exposure to naturally occurring Candida of the
external genitalia.
One autistic subject having reported food allergies
regularly takes an anti-fungal medication. Those results
were negative for fungal growth; wherein he has had
positive results in independent studies.
Ambiguity in interpretation of morphology could be
reduced in future studies with an alternative agar
medium to further distinguish species of Candida.
While the results of this test supported the null
hypothesis, reports of GI dysfunction in autistic
children remain prevalent. The presence of epithelial
IgG and other immunoglobulins in foveolar and
glandular epithelium in biopsies (Torrente and others
2004), suggests the body is responding to an infection
within the digestive tract. This study may not support
the causative factor to be Candida overgrowth leading
to undigested substances in the blood stream; further
investigation is needed to determine the cause of
elevation in the immune response system.
A further occurrence of interest, with regard to
intestinal Candida overgrowth in autistic children, is
the perpetuation of Candida growth due to diet. Many
autistic children are on gluten-free and casein-free
diets. The fermentation of carbohydrates provides
lactic acid, which inhibits the Candida from an
overgrowth (Matsen 2004). Although, this reason gives
cause to speculation, as GI dysfunction is frequent in
those without special diets as well.
There is not a current standard of measurement of
dysfunction level of the gastrointestinal system
(Yamaguchi N 2006). As such, a hypothesis was not
made based on subjective data. It remains to be an area
of further study to determine the correlation between
GI dysfunction and autism. As further research
methods are introduced and additional studies
performed the cause of GI dysfunction can be
determined and symptoms then alleviated.
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Torrente F, Anthony A, Path M, Heuschkel R,
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Saddleback Journal of Biology
Spring 2008