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BMC Psychiatry

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Open Access 01-12-2001 | Hypothesis

Aminoglycoside antibiotics and autism: a speculative hypothesis

Authors: Radmila Manev, Hari Manev

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2001

Abstract

Background

Recently, it has been suspected that there is a relationship between therapy with some antibiotics and the onset of autism; but even more curious, some children benefited transiently from a subsequent treatment with a different antibiotic. Here, we speculate how aminoglycoside antibiotics might be associated with autism.

Presentation

We hypothesize that aminoglycoside antibiotics could a) trigger the autism syndrome in susceptible infants by causing the stop codon readthrough, i.e., a misreading of the genetic code of a hypothetical critical gene, and/or b) improve autism symptoms by correcting the premature stop codon mutation in a hypothetical polymorphic gene linked to autism.

Testing

Investigate, retrospectively, whether a link exists between aminoglycoside use (which is not extensive in children) and the onset of autism symptoms (hypothesis "a"), or between amino glycoside use and improvement of these symptoms (hypothesis "b"). Whereas a prospective study to test hypothesis "a" is not ethically justifiable, a study could be designed to test hypothesis "b".

Implications

It should be stressed that at this stage no direct evidence supports our speculative hypothesis and that its main purpose is to initiate development of new ideas that, eventually, would improve our understanding of the pathobiology of autism.

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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/1/5/prepub

Title: Aminoglycoside antibiotics and autism: a speculative hypothesis
Authors: Radmila Manev
Hari Manev
Publication date: 01-12-2001
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2001
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-1-5

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Aminoglycoside antibiotics and autism: a speculative hypothesis

Abstract

Background

Presentation

Testing

Implications

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Presentation

Testing

Implications

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