Vijendra K. Singh

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Vijendra Kumar Singh
Alma mater Lucknow University, University of British Columbia
Awards O. Spurgeon English Humanitarian Award [1]
Scientific career
Institutions Utah State University, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
Thesis Studies on brain nuclear RNA polymerase and chromatin transcription  (1972)

Vijendra Kumar Singh is a neuroimmunologist who formerly held a post at Utah State University, prior to which he was a professor at the University of Michigan. While affiliated with both institutions, he conducted some controversial autism-related research focusing on the potential role of immune system disorders in the etiology of autism. For example, he has testified before a US congressional committee that, in his view, "three quarters of autistic children suffer from an autoimmune disease."

Contents

Career

Singh originally worked at a children's hospital in Vancouver, and is the author of over 100 scientific publications. The original focus of his research was neurochemistry, but his interest in the role of the immune system in neurodevelopmental disorders was sparked after reading an article on the mind-body relationship, which proposed a biological mechanism to explain the signaling taking place both in the brain and in the immune system. [2] In 2004, Singh gave a talk before the Institute of Medicine in which he recommended testing for immune disorders before vaccinating children, a proposal which was declined, according to Singh, because of its high cost (almost $100 per child). [3] As of 2009 he was working at the Brain State International Research Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. [4] He is currently affiliated with Neuro Immune Biotechnology Solutions, as the organization's scientific director. He is also a member of the Autism Autoimmunity Project.[ citation needed ]

Research

In 1998, Singh, while affiliated with the University of Michigan, coauthored a paper in Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology reporting the presence of antibodies to myelin basic protein in autistic children and arguing that a virally triggered autoimmune response might cause autism. [5] In 2002, Singh et al. published a paper in the Journal of Biomedical Science in which it was reported that 75 of 125 autistic children had an abnormal measles antibody, whereas none of the non-autistic children did. In addition, the study concluded that "...an inappropriate antibody response to MMR, specifically the measles component thereof, might be related to pathogenesis of autism." [6] The results were reported on by the Daily Telegraph , which noted that the study did not prove that the MMR vaccine caused autism; rather, "autism may be responsible for the unusual response to the MMR antibodies." [7]

Singh's findings on autism have been criticized by other scientists as flawed, unreproducible, or dubious. Mary Ramsay of the Health Protection Agency wrote that the evidence for the "specific" MMR-type antibody Singh claims to have detected was "not credible." [8] Paul Offit wrote in Autism's False Prophets that "...a closer look at Singh's science revealed two critical flaws: children with autism didn't have evidence of nerve cell damage, and, according to measles experts, the test that Singh had used to detect measles antibodies didn't actually detect them." [9] A 2006 review of literature on vaccines and autism found that Singh's results "have been called into question due to issues of cross-contamination, as well as the use of unsubstantiated and un-validated biochemical techniques", citing a report by the World Health Organization, [10] and a number of other studies have failed to find a difference in immune response to the measles virus between autistic and neurotypical children. [11] [12] [13] [14] Peter Lachmann, the president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom, stated: "Singh's work in these papers is not particularly reproducible or good... There are many diseases which show raised antibodies to measles, for example chronic active hepatitis or multiple sclerosis, yet there is nothing to associate these with MMR. There is no persuasive evidence that autism is caused by autoimmunity."

Testimony

In 2000, Singh testified before the Committee on Government Reform, led by Dan Burton, regarding the potential role of autoimmunity as a cause of autism. Part of his testimony centered on his findings of brain autoantibodies in autistic children. [15]

Alternative autism therapies

Singh endorses the treatment of autism with nutraceuticals, transfer factors and glyconutrients. [16] In addition, Singh "recommends treating autistic children with a range of immunological treatments, including steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis, and sphingomyelin." [8]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumps</span> Human disease caused by paramyxovirus

Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the mumps virus. Initial symptoms of mumps are non-specific and include fever, headache, malaise, muscle pain, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are usually followed by painful swelling around the side of the face, which is the most common symptom of a mumps infection. Symptoms typically occur 16 to 18 days after exposure to the virus. About one third of people with a mumps infection do not have any symptoms (asymptomatic).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MMR vaccine</span> Any of several combined vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella

The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, abbreviated as MMR. The first dose is generally given to children around 9 months to 15 months of age, with a second dose at 15 months to 6 years of age, with at least four weeks between the doses. After two doses, 97% of people are protected against measles, 88% against mumps, and at least 97% against rubella. The vaccine is also recommended for those who do not have evidence of immunity, those with well-controlled HIV/AIDS, and within 72 hours of exposure to measles among those who are incompletely immunized. It is given by injection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autoimmunity</span> Immune response against an organisms own healthy cells

In immunology, autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other normal body constituents. Any disease resulting from this type of immune response is termed an "autoimmune disease". Prominent examples include celiac disease, diabetes mellitus type 1, Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren syndrome, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Autoimmune diseases are very often treated with steroids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella</span> Human viral disease

Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days. It usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash is sometimes itchy and is not as bright as that of measles. Swollen lymph nodes are common and may last a few weeks. A fever, sore throat, and fatigue may also occur. Joint pain is common in adults. Complications may include bleeding problems, testicular swelling, encephalitis, and inflammation of nerves. Infection during early pregnancy may result in a miscarriage or a child born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Symptoms of CRS manifest as problems with the eyes such as cataracts, deafness, as well as affecting the heart and brain. Problems are rare after the 20th week of pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congenital rubella syndrome</span> Medical condition

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) occurs when an unborn baby is infected with the rubella virus via maternal-fetal transmission and develops birth defects. The most common congenital defects affect the ophthalmologic, cardiac, auditory, and neurologic systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine hesitancy</span> Reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have ones children vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. The scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Causes of autism</span> Proposed causes of autism

The causes of autism are environmental or genetic factors that predispose an individual to develop autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many causes of autism have been proposed, but understanding of the theory of causation of autism is incomplete. Attempts have been made to incorporate the known genetic and environmental causes into a comprehensive causative framework. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairments in communicative ability and social interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities not suitable for the individual's developmental stage. The severity of symptoms and functional impairment vary between individuals.

The MMRV vaccine combines the attenuated virus MMR vaccine with the addition of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. The MMRV vaccine is typically given to children between one and two years of age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumps vaccine</span> Vaccine which prevents mumps

Mumps vaccines are vaccines which prevent mumps. When given to a majority of the population they decrease complications at the population level. Effectiveness when 90% of a population is vaccinated is estimated at 85%. Two doses are required for long term prevention. The initial dose is recommended between 12 and 18 months of age. The second dose is then typically given between two years and six years of age. Usage after exposure in those not already immune may be useful.

Mady Hornig is an American psychiatrist and an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. A physician-scientist, her research involves clinical, epidemiological, and animal model research on autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. She directs the clinical core of an international investigation of the role of Borna disease virus in human mental illness and participates as a key investigator for the Autism Birth Cohort (ABC) project, a large prospective epidemiological study, based in Norway, that is identifying how genes and timing interact with environmental agents preceding the onset of autism spectrum diagnoses. In 2006, she was appointed as guest professor at the school of basic medical science of Beijing University in Beijing, China.

An attenuated vaccine is a vaccine created by reducing the virulence of a pathogen, but still keeping it viable. Attenuation takes an infectious agent and alters it so that it becomes harmless or less virulent. These vaccines contrast to those produced by "killing" the pathogen.

Claims of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism have been extensively investigated and found to be false. The link was first suggested in the early 1990s and came to public notice largely as a result of the 1998 Lancet MMR autism fraud, characterised as "perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". The fraudulent research paper, authored by discredited former doctor Andrew Wakefield and published in The Lancet, falsely claimed the vaccine was linked to colitis and autism spectrum disorders. The paper was retracted in 2010 but is still cited by anti-vaccine activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autoimmune disease</span> Disorders of adaptive immune system

An autoimmune disease is a condition that results from an anomalous response of the adaptive immune system, wherein it mistakenly targets and attacks healthy, functioning parts of the body as if they were foreign organisms. It is estimated that there are more than 80 recognized autoimmune diseases, with recent scientific evidence suggesting the existence of potentially more than 100 distinct conditions. Nearly any body part can be involved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wakefield</span> Discredited British former doctor (born 1956)

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield is a British anti-vaccine activist, former physician, and discredited academic who was struck off the medical register for his involvement in The Lancet MMR autism fraud, a 1998 study that fraudulently claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. He has subsequently become known for anti-vaccination activism. Publicity around the 1998 study caused a sharp decline in vaccination uptake, leading to a number of outbreaks of measles around the world. He was a surgeon on the liver transplant programme at the Royal Free Hospital in London and became senior lecturer and honorary consultant in experimental gastroenterology at the Royal Free and University College School of Medicine. He resigned from his positions there in 2001, "by mutual agreement", then moved to the United States. In 2004, Wakefield co-founded and began working at the Thoughtful House research center in Austin, Texas, serving as executive director there until February 2010, when he resigned in the wake of findings against him by the British General Medical Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Measles vaccine</span> Vaccine used to prevent measles

Measles vaccine protects against becoming infected with measles. Nearly all of those who do not develop immunity after a single dose develop it after a second dose. When the rate of vaccination within a population is greater than 92%, outbreaks of measles typically no longer occur; however, they may occur again if the rate of vaccination decreases. The vaccine's effectiveness lasts many years. It is unclear if it becomes less effective over time. The vaccine may also protect against measles if given within a couple of days after exposure to measles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies</span> Type of anti-nuclear autoantibodies

Anti-SSA autoantibodies are a type of anti-nuclear autoantibodies that are associated with many autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), SS/SLE overlap syndrome, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), neonatal lupus and primary biliary cirrhosis. They are often present in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Additionally, Anti-Ro/SSA can be found in other autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and are also associated with heart arrhythmia.

<i>Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services</i> Legal case in US Court of Federal Claims, decided in 2009

Michelle Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, also known as Cedillo, was a court case involving the family of Michelle Cedillo, an autistic girl whose parents sued the United States government because they believed that her autism was caused by her receipt of both the measles-mumps-and-rubella vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines. The case was a part of the Omnibus Autism Proceeding, where petitioners were required to present three test cases for each proposed mechanism by which vaccines had, according to them, caused their children's autism; Cedillo was the first such case for the MMR-and-thimerosal hypothesis.

Paul Ashwood is an associate professor of immunology at the MIND Institute at the University of California Davis. His lab conducts research regarding the potential role of immune system disorders in autism, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

The Lancet MMR autism fraud centered on the publication in February 1998 of a fraudulent research paper titled "Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children" in The Lancet. The paper, authored by now discredited and deregistered Andrew Wakefield, and twelve coauthors, falsely claimed causative links between the MMR vaccine and colitis and between colitis and autism. The fraud was exposed in a lengthy Sunday Times investigation by reporter Brian Deer, resulting in the paper's retraction in February 2010 and Wakefield being struck off the UK medical register three months later. Wakefield reportedly stood to earn up to $43 million per year selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered. He also held a patent to a rival vaccine at the time, and he had been employed by a lawyer representing parents in lawsuits against vaccine producers.

Extensive investigation into vaccines and autism spectrum disorder has shown that there is no relationship between the two, causal or otherwise, and that the vaccine ingredients do not cause autism. Vaccinologist Peter Hotez researched the growth of the false claim and concluded that its spread originated with Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 paper, with no prior paper supporting a link.

References

  1. ↑ "Utah State Researcher Receives Humanitarian Award". Utah State University. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "Autoimmunity and neurological disorders". ACN. 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Insights" (PDF). Utah State University College of Science. Fall 2005. p. 23. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Singh, V. K. (2009). "Phenotypic expression of autoimmune autistic disorder (AAD): A major subset of autism". Annals of Clinical Psychiatry. 21 (3): 148–161. PMID   19758536.
  5. ↑ Singh, V. K.; Lin, S. X.; Yang, V. C. (1998). "Serological Association of Measles Virus and Human Herpesvirus-6 with Brain Autoantibodies in Autism". Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology. 89 (1): 105–108. doi:10.1006/clin.1998.4588. PMID   9756729.
  6. ↑ Singh, V. K.; Lin, S. X.; Newell, E.; Nelson, C. (2002). "Abnormal measles-mumps-rubella antibodies and CNS autoimmunity in children with autism". Journal of Biomedical Science. 9 (4): 359–364. doi:10.1007/BF02256592. PMID   12145534.
  7. ↑ Derbyshire, David (9 August 2002). "Study linking autism to MMR is published". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  8. 1 2 Fitzpatrick 2004 , p. 90
  9. ↑ Offit 2008 , p. 45
  10. ↑ Doja, A.; Roberts, W. (2006). "Immunizations and autism: a review of the literature". The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. 33 (4): 341–346. doi: 10.1017/s031716710000528x . PMID   17168158.
  11. ↑ Libbey, J. E.; Coon, H. H.; Kirkman, N. J.; Sweeten, T. L.; Miller, J. N.; Lainhart, J. E.; McMahon, W. M.; Fujinami, R. S. (2007). "Are there altered antibody responses to measles, mumps, or rubella viruses in autism?". Journal of Neurovirology. 13 (3): 252–259. doi:10.1080/13550280701278462. PMID   17613715. S2CID   35786437.
  12. ↑ Baird, G.; Pickles, A.; Simonoff, E.; Charman, T.; Sullivan, P.; Chandler, S.; Loucas, T.; Meldrum, D.; Afzal, M.; Thomas, B.; Jin, L.; Brown, D. (2008). "Measles vaccination and antibody response in autism spectrum disorders". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 93 (10): 832–837. doi:10.1136/adc.2007.122937. PMID   18252754. S2CID   3914529.
  13. ↑ d'Souza, Y.; Fombonne, E.; Ward, B. J. (2006). "No Evidence of Persisting Measles Virus in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder". Pediatrics. 118 (4): 1664–1675. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1262. PMID   17015560. S2CID   6024723.
  14. ↑ Gentile, I.; Bravaccio, C.; Bonavolta, R.; Zappulo, E.; Scarica, S.; Riccio, M. P.; Settimi, A.; Portella, G.; Pascotto, A.; Borgia, G. (2013). "Response to measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in children with autism spectrum disorders". In Vivo. 27 (3): 377–382. PMID   23606694.
  15. ↑ "AUTISM: PRESENT CHALLENGES, FUTURE NEEDS--WHY THE INCREASED RATES?". US Government Printing Office. 6 April 2000. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "USU Scientist offers hope for autistic children". Utah State Magazine. Summer 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2013.

Bibliography

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