title: Autism: a form of lead and mercury toxicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autism is a developmental disability characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication. The definite cause of autism is still unknown. The aim of this study is to find out the relation between exposure to Lead and/or mercury as heavy metals and autistic symptoms, dealing with the heavy metals with chelating agents can improve the autististic symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood and hair samples were obtained from 45 children from Upper Egypt with autism between the ages of 2 and 10 years and 45 children served as controls in the same age range, after taken an informed consent and fill a questionnaire to assess the risk factors. The samples were analyzed blindly for lead and mercury by using atomic absorption and ICP-MS. Data from the two groups were compared, then follow up of the autistic children after treatment with chelating agents were done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained showed significant difference among the two groups, there was high level of mercury and lead among those kids with autism. Significant decline in the blood level of lead and mercury with the use of DMSA as a chelating agent. In addition, there was decline in the autistic symptoms with the decrease in the lead and mercury level in blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lead and mercury considered as one of the main causes of autism. Environmental exposure as well as defect in heavy metal metabolism is responsible for the high level of heavy metals. Detoxification by chelating agents had great role in improvement of those kids.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt.. Electronic address: heba612@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Heba A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Yassa
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D012307:Risk Factors; D004113:Succimer / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D004113:Succimer; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Autism; Autistic symptoms; Chelating agents; Heavy metals