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americanscience.orgjofhttp://www.) 122012;8( Journal of American Science
739
Candida Albicans Infection in Autism
Emam AM 1, Mamdouh M. Esmat 2, and Abdelrahim A. Sadek 3
1 Phoniatrics unit, E.N.T Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt
2Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine Sohag University, Egypt
3 Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Sohag University, Egypt
mmesmat2000@yahoo.com
Abstract: Background: Autism children were reported to have gastrointestinal problems that are more frequent and
more severe than in children from the general population. Although many studies demonstrate that GI symptoms are
common in autism, the exact percentage suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) problems is not well known, but there is
a general consensus that GI problems are common in autism. The observation that antifungal medications improve
the behavior of autism children, encourage us to investigate their intestinal colonization with yeasts. Aim of the
work: The purpose of this work was to investigate the intestinal colonization with yeasts in autistic patients and to
assess the role of yeast as a risk factor to cause autism behavior. Patients and methods: The study included 83
cases diagnosed as autistic children referred from the neuro-pediatric clinic and 25 normal children as a control
group. All children under the study came to Phoniatric clinic, during the period from 2010 to 2012, complaining of
delayed language development with autistic features. Children in this study were classified into 2 groups; control
and study groups. All children were subjected to interview, E.N.T examination, language assessment, Childhood
Autistic Rating Score (CARS), stool culture for Candida albicans, complete audiological and psychometric
evaluation. Results: There was significant relation between the autistic children and heavy growth of Candida
albicans in stool culture. Conclusion: The high rate of Candida albicans intestinal infection in autistic children
may be a part of syndrome related to immune system disorders in these patients.
[Emam AM, Mamdouh M. Esmat and Abdelrahim A. Sadek. Candida Albicans Infection in Autism ]Journal of
American Science 2012;8(12):739-744]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org. 103
Keywords: childhood atutism, childhood autistic rating score, Candida albicans, immune system .
1. Introduction:
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group
of severe neurodevelopmental conditions, referred to
a broader extent as pervasive developmental
disorders, characterized by a triad associating
impairments in social interactions, communication
deficits and restricted repetitive and stereotyped
behaviors and interests with an onset in infancy or
early childhood (before 3 years). The estimated
prevalence of ASD was 2–5/10000 with a ratio four
times higher in males than in females (Smalley,
1997). In the last decades, a significant increase (6–
10 folds) of prevalence has been noticed, partially
explained by improvements in case ascertainment,
making ASD a public health priority (Fombonne,
2003).
Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungus which
inhabits almost all humans. It lives on the moist dark
mucous membranes which line the mouth, vagina and
intestinal tract. Ordinarily it exists only in small
colonies, prevented from growing too rapidly by the
human host's immune system, and by competition
from other microorganisms in and on the body's
mucous membranes.
Many species are harmless commensals of hosts
including humans, but other species, or harmless
species in the wrong location, can cause disease.
Candida albicans can cause infections (candidiasis or
thrush) in humans and other animals, especially in
immunocompromised patients (Fugelsang and
Edwards, 2010).When something happens to upset
this delicate natural balance, candida can grow
rapidly and aggressively, causing many unpleasant
symptoms to the host. Some of the symptoms are
widely known and acknowledged. Vaginal yeast
infections primarily caused by candida, present the
most common case in point. Thrush, the white yeast
infection of the mouth and tongue which is common
in infants, is another well-known example of candida
overgrowth. Systemic infections of the bloodstream
and major organs, particularly in
immunocompromised patients, affect over 90,000
people a year in the U.S., with 40–50% mortality
(dEnfert and Hube, 2007, Tarlan and Rick, 2010)
In recent years a minority of physicians have
begun to try to persuade their colleagues, and the
public, that candida may present consequences far
more devastating to human well-being than vaginitis
and thrush. They cite Japanese studies showing that
candida is able to produce toxins which cause severe
long-term disruption of the immune system and may
also attack the brain. In extreme cases, they claim,
severe disorders, totally resistant to conventional
treatment, can occur as a result of candidiasis. These
americanscience.orgjofhttp://www.) 122012;8( Journal of American Science
740
include depression, schizophrenia and, in some cases,
autism (Bernard, 1998).
Aim of the work:
The purpose of this work was to investigate the
intestinal colonization with yeasts in autistic patients
and to assess the role of yeast as a risk factor to cause
autism behavior.
2. Methodology:-
The study involved 83 children, diagnosed
as autism and 25 normal children as control group.
Their ages ranged from 36 months to 54 months with
means age (39.5 ± 6.1 months). The study group
included 68 boys and 15 girls. The control group
included 15 boys and 10 girls. Exclusion criteria
include:
1- Children under antifungal treatment.
2- Children under cytotoxic or
immunosuppressive drugs.
3- Children with abnormal routine laboratory
investigations; blood sugar, kidney function
and liver function tests.
The children in this study underwent CRAS
testing and stool culture for Candida albicans. The
study composed of 2 groups; control group; 25
normal children without autistic feature and study
group; 83 children diagnosed as autism and were
subdivided into 3 subgroups according to stool
culture result for Candida albicans growth, which
included no growth group, minimal growth group,
and heavy growth group.
All patients were subjected to:
Patient interviews (personal history, family
history of consanguinity, hearing loss, DLD),
prenatal, perinatal, postnatal period and
developmental history.
E.N.T examination,
Language evaluation (eye contact, response to
examiner, eye head coordination), assessment of
passive and active vocabulary.
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and the
degree of autistic disorders were done as 30
serving as a cut off for a diagnosis of autism,
mild-moderate autism (30-37) and severe autism
(> 37) (Eric et al., 1988).
Psychometric evaluation, using Stanford–Binet
Intelligence Scales (Terman et al .,1960). &
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Sparrow et
al., 2004).
Neurological examination.
Audiological evaluation including
(Immittancemetry, tympanometery & acoustic
reflex) and auditory brain stem evoked
potentials.
Stool culture on Sabaroud Dextrose Agar (SDA)
for isolation of Candida species and
identification as follows:
1. Random stool samples were collected in sterile
containers.
2. Immediate culture on SDA plate was done and
incubated at 37οC.
3. Cultures were examined after 24-48 hours of
incubation for candida growth characterized by
paste like colonies.
4. Gram stained smears were done using (Gram
stain from EDM Company) and examined by
ordinary light microscope for the Gram-positive
yeast cells.
5. Germ tube test was done for identification of C.
albicans using human serum. Small colony was
taken by sterile loop and emulsified in 0.5 ml
serum, then incubated at 37οC for 2-4 hours and
examined microscopically for the germ tube
formation which is continuous with the cell (a
cell wall separates the tube from the cell in C.
tropicalis). The ability of C. albicans to produce
a pseudo germ tube in serum is shared only with
C. stellatoidea which is very much less common
(Mackie & McCartney, 1989).
We considered the stool samples yielded no
colonies or scanty small colonies (like that of the
control group) as negative growth. Samples yielded
colonies all over the lines of plating out were
considered as heavy growth. Samples yielded
colonies more than scanty and less than heavy were
considered as minimal growth.
3. Results:
The demographic characteristics of the study
and control groups are summarized in table (1). The
study group included 83 children, 68 males (81.9 %)
and 15 females (18.1 %), with mean age 47.44± 7.41
months. The control group included 25 children, 15
males (60 %) and 10 females (40 %), with mean age
44.19 ± 6.25 months. Stool culture on Sabaroud
Dextrose Agar (SDA) was done for all children, 68
(81.9 %) cases were positive for Candida albicans
growth and 15 (18.1 %) cases were negative in study
group. Seven (28 %) cases were positive for Candida
albicans growth from the control group.
Cases with negative growth of Candida
albicans were statistically significantly increased (P
< 0.001) in control group when compared with
autistic group; while there was statistically significant
increase (P < 0.001) in cases of heavy growth of
Candida albicans in autistic group compared with the
control group.
Characteristics of the autistic group as regards
the gender and degree of autism were summarized in
table 2. There were statistically non-significant
americanscience.orgjofhttp://www.) 122012;8( Journal of American Science
741
differences between males and females as regards the
severity of autism (P < 0.05).
Relations between stool culture results and
severity groups of autism were summarized in table
3. Number of patients with negative stool culture
growth was statistically significantly increased (P =
0.027) in mild-moderate group compared with severe
group; while there was statistically non-significant
difference in number of minimal and heavy stool
culture cases in both mild-moderate and severe
autism (P = 0.873 & 0.064, respectively).
There was non-significant negative correlation
between age and gender, and the total score of CARS
test (R= -0.105, -0.044 & P= 0.343, 0.636
respectively), while there was significant positive
correlation between stool culture results of the
patients and the total score of CARS test (R= 0.110 &
P= 0.210) (Table 4).
Table (1): Demographic data
Group
Parameter
Autism
n= (83)
Control
(n= 25)
P
value
No
%
N
o
%
Gender
Male
68
81.9%
15
60.0%
0.025
Female
15
18.1%
10
40.0%
Stools examination
Negative
growth
15
18.1%
18
72.05
0.000
Minimal
22
26.5%
4
16.05
0.058
Heavy
46
55.4%
3
12.0%
0.000
Age
(months)
(mean ±
SD)
47.44± 7.41
44.19 ± 6.25
0.031
S
core (mean ± SD)
40.23± 8.29
19.12 ± 3.26
0.000
Table (2): Relation between gender and autism severity.
Gender
Autism degree
Male
n= (68)
Female
(n= 15)
P value
Mild -moderate 32 (47.1%) 9 (60.0%) 0.065
Severe 36 (52.9%) 6 (40.0%) 0.065
Total (n= 83) 68 (81.9%) 15 (18.1%)
Table 3: Relations between stool culture results and severity groups of autism.
Autism severity
Stools culture
Mild
-
moderate
n= (41)
Severe
(n= 42)
P
value
N
o
%
N
o
%
Negative
growth
10
24.4%
5
11.9%
0.027
Minimal
11
26.8%
11
26.2%
0.873
Heavy
20
48.8%
26
61.9%
0.064
Table (4): Correlations between CARS socre and other parameters.
Parameter
R
P
value
Age
-
0.105
0.343
Gender
-
0.044
0.636
Stool examination
0.110
0.210
4. Discussion:
Exact etiology of autism remains largely
unknown, although it is likely to result from a
complex combination of environmental, neurological,
immunological, and genetic factors. Strong genetic
links have been shown for cases with Fragile X,
neurofibromatosis, and chromosomal abnormalities
(Rutter, 2000, Wiznitzer, 2004, Cohen et al., 2005).
Dykens and Volkmar, 1997 noted that there
was also evidence that a genetic link to autisum may
be a result of a weakened immune system. One of the
questions raised in early literature from the 1960’s
about autism was the possibility of an infectious
etiology to the syndrome. Although this notion has
advanced, concerns remain that a child’s weakened
immune systems and susceptibility to psychological
illness may contribute to the disorder. These early
americanscience.orgjofhttp://www.) 122012;8( Journal of American Science
742
studies portrayed concerns regarding pre- and post-
natal infectious diseases and the impact on children’s
immune systems as a result of these infections.
Studies were conducted that investigated whether
children who experienced pre- or post- natal
infections and/or a suppressed immune system
developed autistic disorders (Kennedy et al., 2004).
Recently, increasing research has focused on the
connections between the immune system and the
nervous system, including its possible role in the
development of autism. These neuro-immune
interactions begin early during embryogenesis and
persist throughout an individual’s lifetime, with
successful neurodevelopment contingent upon a
normal balanced immune response. Many immune
aberrations consistent with a non regulated immune
response, which so far, have been reported in autistic
children could participate in the generation of
neurological dysfunction characteristic of autisum (J
Leukoc Biol., 2006).
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been
described in a number of autisum patients, in whom
symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea,
and constipation (Horvath et al., 1999, Afzal et al.,
2003). The exact prevelance of GI symptoms in
autism is unknown. Two retrospective studies, which
analyzed representative populations of children with
autism, reported GI symptoms in 20% of young
children previously diagnosed with autism
(Fombonne et al., 2001). In contrast, prospective
reports from pediatric gastroenterology and general
autism clinics have described GI symptoms in 46–
84% of patients with autism (Horvath et al., 1999).
However, prevalence estimates from population-
based epidemiologic studies are largely lacking.
Further investigation of gut-brain interactions
in this cohort of children with autism and GI
symptoms is necessary to clarify the potential links
with the intestinal pathology and the effect on it. It is
interesting that mucosal lymphocytes isolated from
the duodenum, ileum, and colon as well as peripheral
lymphocytes of autistic patients with GI symptoms
showed increased, spontaneous production of
proinflammatory, intracellular cytokines, most
notably TNF, when compared with aged-matched
controls, including those with similar symptoms of
constipation (Ashwood et al., 2004, Ashwood and
Wakefield 2006). These data support the hypothesis
that there is mucosal immune deregulations with a
proinflammatory lymphocyte cytokine profile in
autism children. These findings have since been
confirmed in peripheral blood, where
proinflammatory cytokines were increased upon
stimulation with dietary proteins in similarly affected
autistic children compared with controls (Jyonouchi
et al., 2005).
In some studies, circulating antibodies to food
substances, namely the casein and gliadin, have been
found (Lucarelli et al., 1995, Vojdani et al., 2002).
However, these antibodies are also found with similar
frequency to that in the general population.
Furthermore, antibodies to neuronal-specific antigens
in the sera of children with autism could cross-react
with dietary peptides, including milk butyrophilin,
Streptococcus M protein, and Chlamydia
pneumoniae, suggesting that bacterial infections and
milk antigens may modulate an autoimmune response
in autism (Vojdani et al., 2002).
Knivsberg et al., 2002 reported that
exacerbation of GI and behavioral symptoms in
autism induced by certain foods, particularly those
containing gluten and casein, has been shown
through dietary intervention and their removal from
the diet. Autistic children on gluten and casein-free
diets also showed significantly lower eosinophil
infiltrate in intestinal biopsies compared with those
on a conventional diet (Sandler et al., 2000). The
significance of this finding is still unclear. However,
it has been proposed recently that immune responses
associated with allergy may contribute to the
pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases of the CNS in
humans and in animal models (Pedotti et al., 2003).
Zagon and McLaughlin, 1991 hypothesized the
increased passage of exorphins and/or opioids from
the diet such as gliadomorphin and casomorphin into
the body, where they may interact with the CNS,
could play a role in inducing the behavioral features
of autism. Opioid peptides and opioid receptors are
important modulators of neural development,
influencing migration, proliferation, and
differentiation within the CNS. Peripherally, opioid
peptides are contained and/or produced by the gut,
lung, placenta, testis, lymphoid tissue, and immune
cells, but also another important source of opioids is
from the diet. The endogenous opiates and
endorphins can directly influence the immune
response, enhancing generation of cytotoxic T cells
and NK cells, and antibody synthesis and act as
chemoattractants for monocytes and neutrophils
(Weigent and Blalock, 1997).
Wakefield et al., 2002 has been hypothesized
that an excess of opioid peptides will have
detrimental effects on brain development and
behavior, and that autism may result from abnormal
levels or activity of opioid peptides. Casemorphine-7,
an opioid exclusively of dietary origin, has been
shown to be present in patients with psychoses
including autism. Indeed, the beneficial effects on
autistic behavior following dietary exclusion therapy
are thought, in part, to be a result of reduced opioid
intake. Furthermore, therapeutic trials using the oral
opioid antagonist naltrexone in some patients with
americanscience.orgjofhttp://www.) 122012;8( Journal of American Science
743
autisum have shown improvements in behavioral
characteristics such as repetitive stereotypes,
hyperactivity, social contact, and self-injurious
behavior (Symons et al., 2004).
In our study there was increased rate of
infection by Candida albicans in autism versus
control group, 68 (81.9 %) cases versus 7 (28 %)
cases respectively. This in agreement with Horvath
and Perman (2002), who reported that there was
increased rate of positive fungal culture for yeast in
the duodenal juice (43%) of children with autism
undergoing endoscopies more than had the age-
matched controls with other gastrointestinal problems
requiring endoscopies (23%).
Also, in our study there was statistically
significant increase (P < 0.001) in cases of heavy
growth of Candida albicans in autistic group
compared with the control group, and this is near to
the study of Campbell (1983), who reported that
autism was associated with GIT infection with
Candida albicans; a sign of impaired immune
functions resulting in the overgrowth of yeast in the
body.
The survey by the Autism Research Institute of
over 25,000 parents’ reports that parents find
antifungal to be one of the most effective medications
for improving behavior. It is possible that children
with autism are more sensitive to even a normal level
of yeast. Also, it is possible that antifungal have other
effects, such as reducing inflammation (Edelson,
2010).
Whiteley et al., 1999 supported our results.
They reported; there was a decrease of autistic
symptoms after the patient is placed on a gluten
and/or casein free diet. Both gluten and casein can
increase quantities of yeast in the gastrointestinal
tract of patients, which increase autism symptoms.
MacFabe et al., 2007, reported that propionic
acid (C3H6O2) can induce an ‘‘autistic-like state’’ in
laboratory rats. Propionic acid is produced in the
human body through the breakdown of amino acids.
It is also a rather common food preservative. Reichelt
and Knivsberg (2009) hypothesized Candida
albicans, the yeast which when present in excess has
been to be correlated with autism, produces ammonia
(NH3) as a metabolite. If propionic acid presents with
ammonia metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract, it
could be converted to beta-alanine (C3H9NO2),
which is structurally comparable to the inhibitory
neurotransmitter GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid
(C4H9NO2). The proposed final structure for beta-
alanine is almost identical to GABA, with the
exception of an additional carbon atom present in
GABA.
In contrast to our findings, Adams et al., 2011
reported that yeast was only rarely observed by
culture in the autism or typical groups, and the
difference between the two groups was not
significant.
Conclusion:
Candida albicans infection may be a part of
syndrome related to the immune system and depends
on genetic basis of autism, or Candida albicans may
be etiological factor lead to excessive ammonia in gut
which is responsible of autistic behavior in children.
More researches are needed to clarify the exact
mechanism by which Candida albicans affects
autistic children.
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