Bowel Virus Found In Autistic Children Who Had MMR Jab
New Wakefield study. See abstract below.
By Beezy Marsh for the Daily Mail, UK. Not available online at press time.]

Saftey fears over MMR have been increased still further by a study which detected signs of a chronic viral infection in the bowels of children who became autistic after the jab.

The virus feared to come from the measles component of the injection appears to have sparked an abnormal response of the immune system similar to that in patients with HIV. The discovery by researchers at, the Royal Free Hospital in London comes as uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella jab has fallen to an all-time low of 78 per cent. Parents are not convinced it is safe despite official assurances that it does not cause autism or bowel disease.

The latest findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology, follow studies carried out by gastroenterologist Dr Andrew Wakefield who raised concerns about MMR in 1998. The specialist was forced out of his job at the Royal Free in 2001 amid claims that his research had proved too unpopular among the med-cal community.

In October last year his former colleague Dr Simon Murch insisted that he had always supported the vaccine. However, he is a co-author with Dr Wakefield of the latest paper which concludes there is further evidence of a new form of bowel disease in children with regressive autism losing the power of speech and becoming autistic.

Another common complaint among children alleged to have been harmed by MMR is a painful inflammatory gut disorder. Dr Wakefield and Dr Murch examined bowel tissue from 52 children showing signs of autism alter the MMR jab. They found widespread inflammation throughout the bowel and evidence of an unusual immune system response. The intestinal lining contained large numbers of a particular type of white blood cell lymphocytes which fight viral infection. This study did not show whether the virus concerned was measles.

But other tests by pathologists have found the measles virus In the bowel tissue and spinal fluid of autistic children alleged to he harmed by MMR. Dr Wakefield said: This paper not only confirms the presence of disease distinct from other inflammatory bowel diseases in these children but the, findings are also consistent with a viral cause.

What we saw was a response not dissimilar to that seen in some patientswith HJV Clearly these kids dont have Aids but the response fits the pathology consistent with chronic viral disease. That is a most valuable finding.'

A Department of Health spokesman said MMR remained the safest way to vaccinate children against serious childhood diseases. "This is not a study about MMR and therefore makes no contribution to the already published literature on the vaccine."

Intestinal Lymphocyte Populations in Children with Regressive Autism:

Evidence for Extensive Mucosal Immunopathology
http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0271-9142/currentdoi:10.1023/B:JOCI.0000010427.05143.bb
Journal of Clinical Immunology 23 (6): 504-517, November 2003 Copyright ©
2003 Plenum Publishing Corporation All rights reserved

Paul Ashwood
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group
Royal Free and University College Medical School
London, United Kingdom.

Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom
p.ashwood@rfc.ucl.ac.uk;

Simon H. Murch
Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom

Andrew Anthony
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group
Royal Free and University College Medical School
London, United Kingdom

Department of Histopathology
Royal Free and University College Medical School
London, United Kingdom;

Alicia A. Pellicer
Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom

Franco Torrente
Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom

Gaslini Institute
Genoa, Italy

Michael A.Thomson
Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom;

John A. Walker-Smith
Centre for Paediatrie Gastroenterology
Royal Free and University College, Medical School
London, United Kingdom

Andrew J. Wakefield,
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group
Royal Free and University College Medical School
London, United Kingdom.

The International Child Development Resource Center
Florida

Abstract

Inflammatory intestinal pathology has been reported in children with regressive autism (affected children). Detailed analysis of intestinal biopsies in these children indicates a novel lymphocytic enterocolitis with autoimmune features; however, links with cognitive function remain unclear.

To characterize further, the nature and extent of this disease we examined the mucosal infiltrate using flow cytometry. Duodenal, ileal, and colonic biopsies were obtained from 52 affected children, 25 histologically normal, and 54 histologically inflamed, developmentally normal controls.

Epithelial and lamina propria lymphocyte populations were isolated and examined by multicolor flow cytometry. Adjacent biopsies were assessed by semiquantitative histopathology. At all sites, CD3+ and CD3+CD8+ IEL as well as CD3+ LPL were significantly increased in affected children compared with developmentally normal noninflamed control groups (p

In addition, two populationsCD3+CD4+ IEL and LP CD19+ B cellswere significantly increased in affected children compared with both noninflamed and inflamed control groups including IBD, at all sites examined (p

Histologically there was a prominent mucosal eosinophil infiltrate in affected children that was significantly lower in those on a gluten- and casein-free diet, although lymphocyte populations were not influenced by diet.The data provide further evidence of a pan-enteric mucosal immunopathology in children with regressive autism that is apparently distinct from other inflammatory bowel diseases.

Keywords: Inflammation, mucosa, T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, human

Article ID: 474304

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