Entero-Test – Simple and Effective Research Mechanism
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At first sight one may wonder why a paper published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology is being highlighted on this web site.[1] Yet Dr Guiney and his colleagues have evolved a very elegant approach to complex metabolically relevant data collection using a simple, non-invasive test that should be celebrated as an example a combination of science, economics and human/animal care, sometimes assumed not to exist in large research establishments. This paper expanded on a previous study published in 2010.[2]
Neonatal Jaundice Linked to Autism
Many parents and clinicians are looking for clues often of a wild and speculative format to explain why their child may have developed autism, for whilst there appear to be a number of genes involved in autism, the genetic cause has yet to be convincingly supported, suggesting that there remains an environmental factor that influences an epigentic change that allows for relevant genes to be expressed.
A paper published in the journal Pediatrics[1] suggests a possible relationship between a clinically recognised early life condition and the development of ASD suggesting that this sensitive window – if exposed to the described neurological insult can act as an epigenetic activator with long term consequences. In addition to the local neurological interaction, this study also pulled a large amount of data from Danish birth records and found two risk mitigators:
If the mother was primiparous (a woman who has given birth only once) and the birth dates were in between April and September – the risk of autism declined dramatically.
So what did they find: The researchers uncovered a complex interplay between endogenous liver function, frequency of pregnancy and time of conception/birth.
This paper looked at Jaundiced newborns (caused by hyperbilirubinemia – increased levels of bilirubin in the blood) and found they had a remarkably close to 90% higher likelihood of subsequently having any psychological developmental disorder compared with comparable neonates without jaundice (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.58 to 2.21, P=0.001)
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids – A Promising Novel Therapy For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
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Compared with our ancestors, Western societies today lead a lifestyle that is much more sedentary, probably as a result of cultural changes stemming from modern socio-economic morays. Taking into account differences in body size, our energy expenditure per kilogram of body weight has been estimated to be <40% of that of our prehistoric ancestors.[1] Current estimates suggest that 7 out of 10 adults are inactive or lack adequate conditioning,[2] and this lack of adequate exercise, combined with dietary indiscretion, has contributed to the worldwide epidemic of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD, is now considered to be around 20–30% prevalence in Western countries.
The immune system is prone to the same grave misfortunes as any defense system handling weapons: collateral damage that comes with the destruction of the enemy on one’s own territory and friendly fire due to mistaken identity. Whereas the collateral damage is the price we pay for clearance of infections, autoimmunity is a pathological process. Nevertheless, the effector mechanisms involved in both processes are the same. Whether environment can be a cause, a trigger or an amplifier of an autoimmune disease are questions that are being intensively investigated.
