Vitamin D updated for 2013

A great overview on all things vitamin D from metabolism to associations.

Read the open-access version of the paper here.

Vitamin D: Update 2013. From rickets prophylaxis to general preventive healthcare. Gröber U. et al. Dermato-endocrinology 5:3, e1; July/August/September 2013.

XMRV not related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A Multicenter Blinded Analysis Indicates No Association between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and either Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus or Polytropic Murine Leukemia Virus. mBio. 2012; 3: e00266-12.

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View a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Vitamin D and autism

Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. Journal of Neuroinflammation. August 2012.

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Read a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Genetic variants and autism

Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders. Human Molecular Gentics. July 2012.

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Read a Questioning Answers post on SNPs and autism here.

EEGs distinguishing autism?

A stable pattern of EEG spectral coherence distinguishes children with autism from neuro-typical controls - a large case control study. BMC Medicine. 10: 64.

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Read a Questioning Answers post on EEGs and autism here.

Behavioural phenotypes may vary geographically

Visual analysis of geocoded twin data puts nature and nurture on the map. Molecular Psychiatry. June 2012.

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Carnitine biosynthesis and autism

A common X-linked inborn error of carnitine biosynthesis may be a risk factor for nondysmorphic autism. PNAS. May 2012

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View a Questioning Answers post about this research here.

Environmental factors and autism?

Several papers to link to all of which are open-access:

Read a Questioning Answers post on some of this research here.

Landrigan P. et al. A research strategy to discover the environmental causes of autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2012
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1104285

Sheldon JF. et al. Tipping the balance of autism risk: potential mechanisms linking pesticides and autism. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2012
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1104553

Kalkbrenner AE. et al. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders using data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2012
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1104556

Wayman GA. et al. PCB 95 promotes dendritic growth via ryanodine receptor-dependent mechanisms. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2012
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1104832

Wayman GA. et al. PCB 95 modulates calcium-dependent signaling pathway responsible for activity-dependent dendritic growth. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2012
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1104833

Reviewing glutathione and autism

The potential role of the antioxidant and detoxification properties of glutathione in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition & Metabolism. April 2012.

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Read a Questioning Answers post about this paper here.

Probiotics for gastrointestinal disorders

A meta-analysis of probiotic efficacy for gastrointestinal diseases. PLoS ONE. April 2012

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Read a Gutness Gracious Me post on probiotics here.

Porphyrin metabolism as a biomarker for autism risk?

Disordered porphyrin metabolism: a potential biological marker for autism risk assessment. Autism Research. February 2012.

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View a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Co-morbidity in autism spectrum conditions

The co-morbidity burden of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS ONE. April 2012.

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Read a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Autism and epigenetics

A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States. Clinical Epigenetics. April 2012.

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Read a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Maternal obesity & diabetes linked to autism?

Maternal metabolic conditions and risk for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Pediatrics. April 2012.

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View a post on Questioning Answers about this paper here.

Six developmental trajectories for childhood autism?

Six developmental trajectories characterize children with autism. Pediatrics. April 2012.
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Tryptophan depletion and aggression

The effects of acute tryptophan depletion on reactive aggression in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and healthy controls. PLoS ONE. March 2012.

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Lipid metabolism and autism

The neurobiology of lipid metabolism in autism spectrum disorders. Neuro-signals. 2010; 18: 98-112.
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Homocysteine and heart disease: no link?

Homocysteine and Coronary Heart Disease: Meta-analysis of MTHFR Case-Control Studies, Avoiding Publication Bias. PLoS Medicine. February 2012.
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Signs of autism in the brain at 6 months?

Differences in white matter fiber tract development present from 6 to 24 months in infants with autism. American Journal of Psychiatry. February 2012.
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A microbial association with autism

A microbial association with autism. mBio. February 2012.
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Read a Questioning Answers post on autism and Sutterella here.

Does diabetes start in the intestines?

Fatty acid synthase modulates intestinal barrier function through palmitoylation of mucin 2. Cell Host & Microbe. February 2012.
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ADHD in middle-aged adults

A population-based study of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms and associated impairment in middle-aged adults. PLoS ONE. February 2012.
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Vitamin D and the leaky gut

Novel role of the vitamin D receptor in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. American Journal of Physiology: gastronintestinal and liver physiology. 2008; G208-G216.

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Read a Questioning Answers post about this paper here.

Specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency and autism

Immunological characterization and transcription profiling of peripheral blood (PB) monocytes in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD): Case study. Journal of Neuroinflammation. January 2012
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Link to a Questioning Answers post discussing this paper here.

Sutterella and autism

Application of novel PCR-based methods for detection, quantitation, and phylogenetic characterization of Sutterella species in intestinal biopsy samples from children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances. mBio. January 2012
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Link to Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Trends in autism research

A review of research trends in physiological abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders: immune dysregulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and environmental toxicant exposures. Molecular Psychiatry. December 2011.
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Link to Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

The benefits of a gluten-free diet for older patients with coeliac disease

Clinical benefit of gluten-free diet in screen-detected older celiac disease patients. BMC Gastroenterology. December 2011.
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Studying adverse events following 12 and 18 month vaccination

Adverse events following 12 and 18 month vaccinations: a population-based, self-controlled case series analysis. PLoS ONE. December 2011.
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Vitamin and mineral supplement for autism

Effect of a vitamin/mineral supplement on children and adults with autism. BMC Pediatrics. December 2011.
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Incidence of infectious intestinal disease

Longitudinal study of infectious intestinal disease in the UK (IID2 study): incidence in the community and presenting to general practice. BMJ. June 2011
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Bugs, drugs and dysbiosis

Bugs and drugs: insights into the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol. December 2011.
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Brain enlargement and regression in autism

Brain enlargement is associated with regression in preschool-age boys with autism spectrum disorders. PNAS. November 2011.
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View a Questioning Answers post about this study here.

Omega 3 fatty acids for autism

Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Library. November 2011
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Read a post on Questioning Answers about this topic here.

A new player in chronic intestinal inflammation

Th17-related cytokines: new players in the control of chronic intestinal inflammation. BMC Medicine. November 2011
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Glutathione and autism

Novel metabolic biomarkers related to sulfur-dependent detoxification pathways in autistic patients of Saudi Arabia. BMC Neurology. November 2011.
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Zinc deficiency and autism

Infantile zinc deficiency: association with autism spectrum disorders. Scientific Reports. November 2011.
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View a post on Questioning Answers about this topic here.

Probiotics and autism

The potential role of probiotics in the management of childhood autism spectrum disorders. Gastroenterology Research & Practice. 2011.
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Five serum biomarkers for schizophrenia?

Potential metabolite markers of schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry. October 2011.
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View a Questioning Answers post on this paper here.

Cytokines and gastrointestinal motility

Cytokine-induced alterations of gastrointestinal motility in gastrointestinal disorders. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. October 2011
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ADHD and coeliac disease

Association of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and celiac disease: a brief report. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. 2011: 13
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Read a post on Questioning Answers about this paper here.

Progranulin and autism

Low plasma progranulin levels in children with autism. Journal of Neuroinflammation. September 2011.
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View a post on this paper at Questioning Answers here.

Obesity and emotional wellbeing

Modelling the relationship between obesity and mental health in children and adolescents: findings from the Health Survey for England 2007. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health. October 2011
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Bacterial and metabolic signatures in coeliac disease

Duodenal and faecal microbiota of celiac children: molecular, phenotype and metabolome characterization. BMC Microbiology. October 2011.
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Bacteria degrade gluten peptides

Identification of Rothia bacteria as gluten-degrading natural colonizers of the upper gastro-intestinal tract. PLoS ONE. September 2011.
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ADHD and Borderline Personality Disorder

ADHD in adolescents with borderline personality disorder. BMC Psychiatry. September 2011.
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Hookworm infection good for inflammation?

Suppression of inflammatory immune responses in celiac disease by experimental hookworm infection. PLoS ONE. September 2011.
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Read a post about this paper here.

Dietary saturated fat and and cardiovascular disease

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol 91(3). pp535-546. March 2010
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[Note that this article is not a recent one but nevertheless contains some interesting information].

Carbohydrates, dysbiosis and autism

Impaired carbohydrate digestion and transport and mucosal dysbiosis in the intestines of children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances. PLoS ONE. September 2011
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View Questioning Answers posts on this paper here and here.

Fatherhood decreases testosterone

Longitudinal evidence that fatherhood decreases testosterone in human males. PNAS. September 2011.
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Link to media content about this paper here.

Europe's biggest source of ill health

The size and burden of mental disorders and other disorders of the brain in Europe in 2010. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011.
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