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William J. Walsh, Ph.D.

Pfeiffer Treatment Center
Warrenville, IL
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° à tpatient medical facility

° 23,000 patients from all 50 states and 75
foreign co ntries.
° Collaboration between medical doctors and
scientists.
° Individ alized Biochemical Therapy
° Scientific Research
° 501c3 P blic Charity
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° Chemistry Database St dies
° Metallothionein Research
° à
idative Damage
-- Essential fats
-- Vasc lar tiss e
-- Imm ne cells (le ocytes)
-- Brain tiss e
° Assays of a tism/control brain tiss es.
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° 10,600 Behavior & ADHD

° 6,000 A tism
° 3,700 Schizophrenia & Bipolar
° 3,600 Depression
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° Abo t 90 to 150 assays of chemical

factors in blood, rine, or hair for more
than 6,000 patients

° More than 1,000,000 separate chemical

analyses
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° Major biochemical abnormalities observed

thro gho t the a tism spectr m.
° The biochemical imbalances are more
severe than those for ADHD, violent
behavior, depression, and psychosis.
° Female a tistics have more disordered
chemistry than male a tistics.
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° Elevated ser m copper

° Elevated to
ic metals
° Depressed zinc
° Undermethylation
° Pyrrole disorder
° Severe o
idative stress & damage
 

 
 
   

° Depressed Methionine and SAMe

° Elevated SAH and Adenosine
° High Urinary Isoprostanes
° Depressed Cysteine and Gl tathione
° Low Seleni m Levels
° Depressed Cer loplasmin
° Elevated Levels of Free-Radicals
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Mean C /Zn Ratio
A tism Spectr m (N=503) 1.63
Controls (N=25) 1.15

t = 8.77 (two-tailed ³t´ test); - 

American Psychiatric Association Ann al Meeting

New àrleans, 2001.
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1. Depletes metallothionein & gl tathione

2. Associated with inflammation &
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idative stress
3. Can ca se abnormal ne rotransmitter
levels.
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° Req ired for development of brain cells,

° Primary ³filter´ for Hg, Pb, and other metal
to
ics at intestinal and blood/brain barriers,
° Req ired for homeostasis of C and Zn,
° S pports imm ne f nction.

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° Short, dense, ndeveloped brain cells,

° Abnormalities observed primarily where MT
levels are highest (amygdala, hippocamp s,
P rinje cells, inferior olives, and pineal
gland).

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° MT-3 assists in the pr ning of brain cells,

which maes space for growth of ³new´ cells,
° MT-1 and MT-2 participate in the nat ral
growth (development) of brain cells,
° MT-3 is the primary agent for termination of
growth of f lly-developed brain cells.
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° GSH is first line of defense against Hg,

Pb, etc, b t has limited capacity for
to
ic metals.
° When > 10% of GSH is bo nd to to
ic
metals, additional to
ics are transferred
from GSH to MT.
° Se increases inetics of the GSH/MT
antio
idant system by more than 50%.
° For major e
pos res, most to
ic metals
depart the body bo nd to MT.
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° Form lation of 22 n trients that promote

genetic e
pression or f nctioning of MT,
incl ding Zinc, Gl tathione, and Seleni m,
° Aimed at completion of brain mat ration to
enable gains in cognition, speech, and
socialization,
° Has res lted in higher freq ency of a tism
recovery at Pfeiffer Treatment Center.
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° P blished in à
 

 
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Walsh, McGinnis, and Yao.

° Findings: Elevated o
idative damage to fats

and vasc lar tiss es for a tistic s bjects,
compared to controls.
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° Untreated a tism may be ne rodegenerative

with o
idative damage ca sing slow, grad al
loss of brain cells and IQ.

° Antio
idant therapy may be necessary

thro gho t the life of a person diagnosed
with an a tism spectr m disorder.
  
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° Most yo ng ASD patients appear q ite bright

° Many s ccessf lly treated children become

mainstreamed and academic leaders,

° Most ad lt a tistics e
hibit mental severe

retardation.
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° SAMe levels 36% lower,

° SAMe/SAH ratios 50% lower,
° Homocysteine 180% higher,
° Cysteine 40% lower,
° GSH 25-60% lower.
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W.McGinnis, T.A dhya, W.Walsh, J.Jacson,
J.McLaren-Howard, A.Lewis, P.La da, D.Bib s,
F.J rna, R.Lietha, A.Hoffer.

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° Do ble blind, controlled st dy,

° 176 brain tiss es & 22 peripheral samples
from U. of Maryland¶s A tism Brain Ban,
° Elemental analysis for 16 elements, incl ding
Hg, Pb, C , Zn, and Se sing high-brilliance
photons at ANL¶s Advanced Photon So rce),
° First elemental assays ever attempted for
a tism & control brain tiss es.

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° Cerebell m
° S perior Corte

° Deep Corte

° White Matter

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° Abnormal levels of Ca, S, Fe, Zn in a tism brains,

° The abnormalities are striingly different for male

and female a tistics, s ggesting that male and
female a tism may have different genetic origins.

° Merc ry not detected (detection limit of abo t 100

ppb)

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° Strong genetic predisposition

° ànset after environmental ins lt
° High o
idative stress
° Undermethylation
° Incomplete brain mat ration
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-- Higher concordance in siblings
-- 60 to 80% concordance in identical twins
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-- Identical twin concordance not 100%
-- Major differences in many identical twins.
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The genetic defect involves a
weaened ability to cope with
environmental stresses
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A tism evident at birth. Greater severity of
symptoms. Mental retardation often present.

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Regressive a tism. Symptoms depend on
developmental stage d ring ins lt.
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° C rrent consens s that a tism res lts from

many genetic defects, rather than from a
single gene.

° A common factor in these genetic defects

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° Genetic tendency for depressed GSH, MT,

Se, etc at intestinal and blood/brain barriers,
° Inability to prevent Hg, Pb, Cd, and reactive
o
ygen specie from invading the brain.
-- destr ction of brain cells
-- interr ption of brain mat ration process
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° Hypersensitivity to Hg and other to
ic metals

° Hypersensitivity to certain proteins (casein,
gl ten, etc)
° Poor imm ne f nction
° Disr ption of the methylation cycle
° Inflammation of the brain & G.I. tract.
° Depletion of gl tathione & metallothionein
° E
cessive amo nts of ³ nbo nd´ copper
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° Destroys digestive enzymes needed to brea
down casein & gl ten proteins,
° Promotes candida/yeast levels,
° Diminishes Zn levels and prod ction of
stomach acid,
° Prod ces inflammation,
° Ineffective barrier to to
ic metals at the
intestinal m cosa.
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1. Chelation with DMSA, DMPS, EDTA, etc.

2. Methyl B-12
3. Metallothionein Promotion
4. Transdermal or Injected Gl tathione
5. Zn, Se, CoQ-10, Ta rine, Vitamins A,C,D,E
6. Alpha Lipoic Acid
7. Risperdal
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° What % of a tism cases are triggered by Hg?

° Can ³old´ Hg stay in the brain and ca se
contin ing damage?
° How serio s is the contin ing daily e
pos re
to Hg from the environment?
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° DMSA and DMPS are powerf l antio
idants.

° Chelation can provide antio
idant benefits
even if to
ic metals are  present.
° For many patients, the primary benefits of
chelation res lt from antio
idant properties,
and not from removal of Hg or other metals.
° Antio
idant benefits from chelation appear to
³fade away´ after abo t 2-4 wees.
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° Rapid removal of to
ic metals from

peripheral soft tiss es & blood, th s
preventing their access to the brain,

° Powerf l antio
idant
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° Does not fi
intestinal or blood/brain barriers,

rendering the patient v lnerable to f t re
to
ic e
pos res,
° Antio
idant benefits are temporary, lasting
only 2-4 wees,
° May not remove to
ic metals from the brain,
° Complicates Zn management.
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° Identification & individ alized treatment of
biochemical imbalances,
° MT-Promotion therapy,
° Selective se of adj nct therapies
- CF/GF diet
- Normalization of intestinal flora
- Methylation therapies
- Digestive enzymes
- etc.
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Advances in cognition, socialization,
and speech by enhanced development
of immat re brain cells and new
synaptic connections.
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° Elimination of to
ic metals & e
cess C
° Improved imm ne f nction
° Healing of the G.I. tract
° Red ced food sensitivities
° Improved behavior control
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° Genero s amo nts of Zn and GSH which are
essential to ind ction and f nctioning of MT,
° Seleni m, Vitamins B-6, C, E, which are
nown to promote MT,
° S pplements of the 14 amino-acid
constit ents of MT in the proportion they
e
ist in MT proteins.
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° Directly aimed at development of brain cells

& new synaptic connections,
° Potential for permanently correcting the
intestinal and blood/brain barriers,
° Restores the nat ral (and powerf l) body
system for coping with to
ic metals,
° Potential for eliminating food sensitivities,
yeast problems & intestinal inflammation.
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° Pre-loading with zinc is necessary to prevent

temporary side effects,
° B ilding p tolerance to the MT Promoter
form lation can be a slow process for some
children,
° Commercial lab testing to determine MT
stat s is in its infancy.
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° Elimination of to
ic metals and e
cessive

o
idative stress,
° Behavioral therapy to stim late development
of brain cells and synaptic connections,
° MT-Promotion therapy to enable completion
of brain mat ration.
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° à
idative stress may be the decisive factor in

a tism-spectr m disorders.
° Treatment protocols aimed at (1) red ction of
o
idative stresses and (2) development of
new brain cells and synapses are highly
promising.
° Long-term antio
idant therapy may be
needed to prevent loss of brain cells and
mental retardation.
&@M+E

William J. Walsh, Ph.D.

Pfeiffer Treatment Center
Warrenville, Illinois
www.hriptc.org