Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9899
ISSN: 2155-9899
Gehan Ahmed Mostafa
Faculty of Medicine,
Cairo
Egypt
Research Article
The Possible Association between Elevated Levels of Blood Mercury and the Increased Frequency of Serum Anti-myelin Basic Protein Auto-antibodies in Autistic Children
Author(s): Gehan Ahmed Mostafa and Laila Yousef AL-AyadhiGehan Ahmed Mostafa and Laila Yousef AL-Ayadhi
Background: Autism can occur as a result of a complex interaction between environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Mercury is a neurotoxicant and it is one of the main environmental triggers for autoimmunity. The underlying pathogenic mechanism in autoimmune disorders is the formation of auto-antibodies. Brain specific autoantibodies are elevated in a subgroup of autistic children. We are the first to study the relation between blood mercury levels and the seropositivity of anti-myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) autoantibodies in autistic children. Methods: Blood mercury levels were measured, by atomic absorption spectrometry, and serum levels of anti- MBP auto-antibodies were measured, by ELISA, in 100 children with autism aged between 5-12 years and 100 healthy-matched control children. Results.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2155-9899.1000310