Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

Autism, malnutrition, flora
98: Susan Owens, Defeat Autism Now! Think-tank presentation. Philadelphia 2003.
99. Finegold SM et al. Gastrointestinal microflora studies in late-onset autism. Clin
Infect Dis 2002 35(Suppl 1):S6-S16 PMID 12173102
"Some cases of late-onset (regressive) autism may involve abnormal flora because oral
vancomycin, which is poorly absorbed, may lead to significant improvement in these
children. Fecal flora of children with regressive autism was compared with that of
control children, and clostridial counts were higher. The number of clostridial species
found in the stools of children with autism was greater than in the stools of control
children. Children with autism had 9 species of Clostridium not found in controls,
whereas controls yielded only 3 species not found in children with autism. In all, there
were 25 different clostridial species found. In gastric and duodenal specimens, the most
striking finding was total absence of non-spore-forming anaerobes and microaerophilic
bacteria from control children and significant numbers of such bacteria from children
with autism. These studies demonstrate significant alterations in the upper and lower
intestinal flora of children with late-onset autism and may provide insights into the
nature of this disorder."
100. Bendel CM. Colonization and epithelial adhesion in the pathogenesis of neonatal
candidiasis. Semin Perinatol. 2003 Oct;27(5):357-64. PMID 14626499
"C albicans is the most commonly isolated species in colonized or infected infants. Over
the past decade the incidence of both colonization and infection with other Candida
species, particularly C parapsilosis, has risen dramatically… Microbial factors also
augment colonization, including the ability of Candida to adhere to human epithelium."
101. Walker WA. Role of nutrients and bacterial colonization in the development of
intestinal host defense. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2000;30 Suppl 2:S2-7. PMID
10749395
102. Dai D, Walker WA. Protective nutrients and bacterial colonization in the immature
human gut. Adv Pediatr. 1999;46:353-82. PMID 10645469
"The normal human microflora is a complex ecosystem that is in part dependent on
enteric nutrients for establishing colonization. The gut microbiota are important to the
host with regard to metabolic functions and resistance to bacterial infections. At birth,
bacterial colonization of a previously germ-free human gut begins. Diet and
environmental conditions can influence this ecosystem. A breast-fed, full-term infant
has a preferred intestine microbiota in which bifidobacteria predominate over potentially
harmful bacteria, whereas in formula-fed infants, coliforms, enterococci, and
bacteroides predominate. The pattern of bacterial colonization in the premature
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