John Stone
United Kingdom
1028 Posts |
 Posted - 09/13/2008 :
18:09:52 http://jabs.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2943
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Ben
returned to the subject of MMR and autism just a
fortnight ago. Nothing risky, with the column
dropped from CiF just in case. But what a mess
he would be in if he had to defend the new
Hornig
study. Ben loves big studies, but this study had
just 5 cases of the Wakefield pheno-type. How
could you possibly extrapolate about other cases
from such a tiny base?
And there was another nasty shock in the study:
"Our results differ with reports noting MV RNA
in ileal biopsies of 75% of ASD vs. 6% of
control children [10], [41]. Discrepancies are
unlikely to represent differences in
experimental technique because similar primer
and probe sequences, cycling conditions and
instruments were employed in this and earlier
reports; furthermore, one of the three
laboratories participating in this study
performed the assays described in earlier
reports. Other factors to consider include
differences in patient age, sex, origin (Europe
vs. North America), GI disease, recency of MMR
vaccine administration at time of biopsy, and
methods for confirming neuropsychiatric status
in cases and controls." [1]
So it is clearly stating that results of Uhlmann
[2] are valid, while acknowledging gut pathology
for some autistic children is a real subject for
due investigation. The study also validated two
positive results across three laboratories and
is cagey about their clinical history. For the
last four years we have been living with the
wicked pretence that the Royal Free patients did
not have gut pathology. Even the National
Autistic Society had a warning about this:
"The National Autistic Society is keenly aware
of the concerns of parents surrounding suggested
links between autism and the MMR vaccine. The
charity is concerned that the GMC hearing, and
surrounding media coverage, will create further
confusion and make it even more difficult for
parents to access appropriate medical advice for
their children.
"It is particularly important that this case is
not allowed to increase the lack of sympathy
that some parents of children with autism have
encountered from health professionals,
particularly on suspected gut and bowel
problems. Parents have reported to the NAS that
in some cases their concerns have been dismissed
as hysteria following previous publicity around
the MMR vaccine. It is crucial that health
professionals listen to parents' concerns and
respect their views as the experts on their
individual children.
"There is an urgent need for further,
authoritative research into the causes of
autism, to improve our understanding of the
condition, to respond to parents' concerns and
to enable us to ensure that there are
appropriate services and support in place to
meet people's needs." [3]
Today we live with a horrific situation in this
country. The MMR litigation was apparently
collapsed on incorrect information that results
in the Uhlmann study were false, which is flatly
contradicted by the new study [4]. Three doctors
stand falsely accused of inventing symptoms at
the GMC, while children remain untreated for
serious illness (irrespective of cause).
And Ben, like the rest of the journalistic and
medical establishment, is apparently lost for
words.
[1]
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0003140#s3
[2]
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=11950955
[3]
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=459&a=13952
[4]
http://www.jabs.org.uk/pages/yazbak-expert.asp |
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