Lack of Association between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

BackgroundThe presence of measles virus (MV) RNA in bowel tissue from children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances was reported in 1998. Subsequent investigations found no associations between MV exposure and ASD but did not test for the presence of MV RNA in bowel or focus on children with ASD and GI disturbances. Failure to replicate the original study design may contribute to continued public concern with respect to the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe objective of this case-control study was to determine whether children with GI disturbances and autism are more likely than children with GI disturbances alone to have MV RNA and/or inflammation in bowel tissues and if autism and/or GI episode onset relate temporally to receipt of MMR. The sample was an age-matched group of US children undergoing clinically-indicated ileocolonoscopy. Ileal and cecal tissues from 25 children with autism and GI disturbances and 13 children with GI disturbances alone (controls) were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for presence of MV RNA in three laboratories blinded to diagnosis, including one wherein the original findings suggesting a link between MV and ASD were reported. The temporal order of onset of GI episodes and autism relative to timing of MMR administration was examined. We found no differences between case and control groups in the presence of MV RNA in ileum and cecum. Results were consistent across the three laboratory sites. GI symptom and autism onset were unrelated to MMR timing. Eighty-eight percent of ASD cases had behavioral regression.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study provides strong evidence against association of autism with persistent MV RNA in the GI tract or MMR exposure. Autism with GI disturbances is associated with elevated rates of regression in language or other skills and may represent an endophenotype distinct from other ASD.

Assessment of Parents Knowledge towards the Benefits of Child Immunization in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

“…Vaccine Autism is linked to mums, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccines and convulsions or ceasures with measles vaccine are all scientifically baseless. 12 Researchers looked for measles virus in the guts of 25 children with both autism and gastrointestinal disorders, and another 13 children with the same gastrointestinal disorders but no autism. The virus was detected in one child from each group.…”

Immune Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…At least 15 epidemiological studies from around the world have found no connection between autism and vaccines (Honda et al, 2005;Madsen et al, 2002;Mäkelä et al, 2002). These epidemiological findings have been substantiated by biological studies finding no evidence of persistent measles virus infection in autistic individuals (Afzal et al, 2006;Hornig et al, 2008). Interestingly, Pangborn (2002) reported that autism onset-at-18 months of age has increased more than 10 times the 1980 levels while the onset-at-birth cases has increased 3-4 times.…”

Vaccines and Autism – An Unlikely Connection

“…Two additional studies reported no detectable measles virus genome sequence in the blood of autistic children who had received MMR vaccination [56,57]. Further, in a case-control study conducted by Hornig et al, ileal and cecal tissues from 25 children in the US with autism and gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances and 13 children with GI disturbances alone (controls) undergoing clinically-indicated ileocolonoscopy, were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for presence of measles virus RNA in three laboratories blinded to diagnosis, including one wherein the original findings suggesting a link between measles virus and ASDs were reported [58]. The authors reported no differences between case and control groups in the presence of measles viral RNA in the ileum and cecum [58].…”

“…Further, in a case-control study conducted by Hornig et al, ileal and cecal tissues from 25 children in the US with autism and gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances and 13 children with GI disturbances alone (controls) undergoing clinically-indicated ileocolonoscopy, were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for presence of measles virus RNA in three laboratories blinded to diagnosis, including one wherein the original findings suggesting a link between measles virus and ASDs were reported [58]. The authors reported no differences between case and control groups in the presence of measles viral RNA in the ileum and cecum [58]. Despite the scientific difficulty with proving a negative, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in a report on vaccine safety has stated conclusively that there is no causal relationship between the administration of the MMR vaccine and the onset of ASDs [59].…”