Ginger Taylor is an anti-vaccine activist and vice-president of a tiny splinter political party. She has compiled a list of papers (the count is currently 72) that she claims "show that vaccines can cause autism".
Taylor's list of papers has been getting a lot of play, so a group of pro-science bloggers and writers reviewed the list in detail.
No, the 72 papers do not show that vaccines can cause autism. Papers #40-59 are discussed below the fold and you can download a copy of the full list yourself here: Download G_Taylor_list_debunked_V2.0_8_7
The complete series
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 1)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 2)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 3)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 4)
40. Pediatric Vaccines Influence Primate Behavior, and Amygdala Growth and Opioid Ligand Binding Friday, May 16, 2008: IMFAR (Original Taylor number = 32)
Laura Hewitson was the lead researcher on a series of studies on comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated macaque monkeys. This was one of three poster presentations at the 2008 meeting of the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) by Hewiston and others (including Wakefield) on a set of primates. There were other studies that came out of the Hewitson group. The Hewitson publication program was extremeley confusing; a timeline and discussion is available at: http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2012/05/this-is-going-around-new-study-baby-monkeys-develop-autism-after-routine-cdc-vaccinations.html Others write about Hewitson’s research peccadillos here (a non-exhaustive list):
- May 18, 2008 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2008/05/18/laura-hewistons-stinker/
- May 19, 2008 http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/monkey-business-in-autism-research/
- July 16, 2010 http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/terrible-anti-vaccine-study-terrible-reporting/
- July 16, 2010 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/16/the-genie-is-out-of-the-bottle-vaccines-cause-autism/
- July 16,, 202 http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/07/16/too-much-vaccineautism-monkey-business-f/
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
41. Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: An assessment of computerized medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. (Original Taylor number =35)
Correct citation: Young HA, Geier DA, Geier MR. Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: an assessment of computerized medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. J Neurol Sci. 2008 Aug 15;271(1-2):110-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2008.04.002. Epub 2008 May 15.
This paper has to be one of the most thoroughly scrutinized (and debunked) of all the papers that claim a connection between vaccines and autism.
- The backstory: http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2006/10/10/mark-geier-david-geier-and-the-vsd/
- http://epiwonk.com/?p=55 "This study has a lot of problems, and I predict that it will take me at least five posts to go through the article point by point to explain all the flaws. However, there’s one trick that the authors play that’s so glaring that I have to point it out immediately. In fact, I’ve spent two days in shock that the journal editor and reviewers let the authors get away with it."
- http://epiwonk.com/?p=57 "it’s probably a good idea to back up a bit and talk about confounding and confounders. The authors make no mention of confounding and take no account of potential confounding in their analysis. This is one of the many flaws of the study."
- http://epiwonk.com/?p=59 On the nature of the ecological fallacy.
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/irb-approval-of-geier-autism-s.html
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/ive-been-sucked-into-the-thime.html
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/young-geier-autism-study-1.html
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/young-geier-autism-study-2.html
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/young-geier-autism-study-3.html
- http://bmartinmd.com/2008/05/young-geier-autism-study-4.html
Summarizing the drawbacks of Young et al's study and write-up is a considerable challenge, frankly because there are so many.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
42. Glutathione, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration (Original Taylor number = 32)
Correct citation: Schulz JB, Lindenau J, Seyfried J, Dichgans J. Glutathione, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Eur J Biochem. 2000 Aug;267(16):4904-11.
This study does not discuss vaccination or autism.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
43. Hepatitis B triple series vaccine and developmental disability in US children aged 1-9 years (Original Taylor number = 37)
Correct citation: Gallagher C, Goodman M 2008. Hepatitis B triple series vaccine and developmental disability in US children aged 1-9 years, Toxicol Environ Chem 2008 90(5):997-1008. DOI:10.1080/02772240701806501
A 2013 study found that children with ASD had a lower uptake of HepB, https://imfar.confex.com/imfar/2013/webprogram/Paper12796.html, discussed at http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2013/05/mind-institute-no-difference-in.html
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
44. Induction of metallothionein in mouse cerebellum and cerebrum with low-dose thimerosal injection. (Original Taylor number = 38)
Correct citation: Minami T, Miyata E, Sakamoto Y, Yamazaki H, Ichida S. Induction of metallothionein in mouse cerebellum and cerebrum with low-dose thimerosal injection. Cell Biol Toxicol. 2010 Apr;26(2):143-52. doi: 10.1007/s10565-009-9124-z. Epub 2009 Apr 9.
Studies in mice using a carrier medium. Does not prove that autism is caused by vaccination, with or without thimerosal.
45. Mercury induces inflammatory mediator release from human mast cells (Original Taylor number = 39)
Correct citation: Kempuraj D, Asadi S, Zhang B, Manola A, Hogan J, Peterson E, Theoharides TC. Mercury induces inflammatory mediator release from human mast cells. J Neuroinflammation. 2010 Mar 11;7:20. doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-7-20.
In-vitro study of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) , not ethyl mercury or thimerosal. Does not “show vaccines cause autism”.
46. Influence of pediatric vaccines on amygdala growth and opioid ligand binding in rhesus macaque infants: A pilot study (Original Taylor=34)Correct citation: Hewitson L, Lopresti BJ, Stott C, Mason NS, Tomko J. Influence of pediatric vaccines on amygdala growth and opioid ligand binding in rhesus macaque infants: A pilot study. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2010;70(2):147-64.
Another of the infamous, ever evolving Hewitson macaque papers.
Debunked at
Note: This issue of Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis (ANE) focused upon autism. Not just autism, but autism causation with papers on vaccines, acetaminophen and, of course, mercury. The idea for this focus edition came from Professor Dorota Majewska who holds the EU Marie Curie Chair at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw, Poland. The authors for this focus issue are largely the same as those from a conference Prof. Majewska organized in 2008, Autism and Vaccinations.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
47. Cultured lymphocytes from autistic children and non-autistic siblings up-regulate heat shock protein RNA in response to thimerosal challenge. (Original Taylor number = 41)
Correct citation: Walker SJ, Segal J, Aschner M. Cultured lymphocytes from autistic children and non-autistic siblings up-regulate heat shock protein RNA in response to thimerosal challenge. Neurotoxicology. 2006 Sep;27(5):685-92. Epub 2006 Jun 16.
An in-vitro cell study, thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), using concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
48. Neonatal administration of a vaccine preservative, thimerosal, produces lasting impairment of nociception and apparent activation of opioid system in rats. (Original Taylor number = 59)
Correct citatons: Olczak M, Duszczyk M, Mierzejewski P, Majewska MD. 2009 Neonatal administration of a vaccine preservative, thimerosal, produces lasting impairment of nociception and apparent activation of opioid system in rats. Brain Res. 2009 Dec 8;1301:143-51. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.003. Epub 2009 Sep 9.
Rat study on injected thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines) in concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines. Note: lead researcher M Dorota Majewska seems to have specialized in rat studies that show thimerosal damage.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
49. Sorting out the spinning of autism: heavy metals and the question of incidence (Original Taylor number = 44)
Correct citation: Desoto MC, Hitlan RT. Sorting out the spinning of autism: heavy metals and the question of incidence. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2010;70(2):165-76.
Debunked at http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/08/03/prof-desoto-discusses-mercury-and-autism/
Note: This issue of Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis (ANE) focused upon autism. Not just autism, but autism causation with papers on vaccines, acetaminophen and, of course, mercury. The idea for this focus edition came from Professor Dorota Majewska who holds the EU Marie Curie Chair at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw, Poland. The authors for this focus issue are largely the same as those from a conference Prof. Majewska organized in 2008, Autism and Vaccinations.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
50. Urinary Porphyrin Excretion in Neurotypical and Autistic Children (Original Taylor number = 45)
Correct citation: Woods JS, Armel SE, Fulton DI, Allen J, Wessels K, Simmonds PL, Granpeesheh D, Mumper E, Bradstreet JJ, Echeverria D, Heyer NJ, Rooney JP. 2010 Urinary porphyrin excretion in neurotypical and autistic children. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Oct;118(10):1450-7. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901713. Epub 2010 Jun 24.
It is an article of belief in some circles that urinary porphyrin excretion abnormalities is a biomarker for autism. However, the foundations of that belief rest upon studies performed by the disgraced and discredited Geier family (father and son).
Woods et al. 2010, the above article does not mention vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
51. Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Original Taylor number = 46)
Correct citation: Rossignol DA, Frye RE Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis Molecular Psychiatry (2012) 17, 290–314; doi:10.1038/mp.2010.136; published online 25 January 2011
Review article, not study. This paper has nothing to do with vaccines
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
52. Sensitization effect of thimerosal is mediated in vitro via reactive oxygen species and calcium signaling. (Original Taylor number = 47)
Correct Citation: Migdal C, Foggia L, Tailhardat M, Courtellemont P, Haftek M, Serres M. Sensitization effect of thimerosal is mediated in vitro via reactive oxygen species and calcium signaling. Toxicology. 2010 Jul-Aug;274(1-3):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2010.04.016. Epub 2010 May 10.
In vitro study, thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
53. What's going on? The question of time trends in autism. (Not in Taylor’s original list.)
Correct citation: Blaxill MF. What's going on? The question of time trends in autism. Public Health Rep. 2004 Nov-Dec;119(6):536-51.
Review of survey literature available in years prior to 2004. Outdated and superceded by many more reliable publications. Paper does not mention vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
54. Vaccines and Autism. (Not in Taylor’s original list.)
Correct citation, Rimland B, McGinnis W, Vaccines and Autism, Laboratory medicine, september 2002 9: 33 708-717
An 11-year-old discursive article discussing the authors’ belief that something about the MMR vaccine and thimerosal is causal in autism. Later studies found no autism connection with either factor.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
55. Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes—A review (Original Taylor number = 50)
Correct citation: Ratajczak HV. Theoretical aspects of autism: causes--a review. J Immunotoxicol. 2011 Jan-Mar;8(1):68-79.
This is one of the more risible papers in Taylor's list. See for example:
- http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2011/02/11/sloppy-science-a-perfect-example-of-how-the-anti-vaccine-crowd-will-listen-to-anything/ “The rest of the paper is a rogues' gallery of debunked and fringe science. Helen Ratajczak cites the Geiers numerous times, DeSoto and Hitlan, Nataf and Rossignol to name but a few. This isn’t a paper so much as an advert for the sort of poor science that was examined in the Autism Omnibus proceedings and roundly rejected by the Special Masters. For goodness sake, she even cites David Ayoub of the Black Helicopter infamy.”
- http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/anti-vaccine-propaganda-from-sharyl-attkisson-of-cbs-news-2/"How on earth did this get through peer review? Obviously, the peer reviewers of Dr. Ratajczak’s article were either completely ignorant of the background science (and therefore unqualified) or asleep at the switch."
- http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2012/07/3-theoretical-aspects-of-autism-causes-a-review-2011.html
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
56. Ancestry of pink disease (infantile acrodynia) identified as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders. (Not in Taylor’s original list.)
Correct citation: Shandley K, Austin DW. Ancestry of pink disease (infantile acrodynia) identified as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2011;74(18):1185-94. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2011.590097.
"This is, at best, a very strange paper. Consider these questions: 1) Why aren’t they reporting a high autism prevalence in the people who had very high mercury exposures and who showed signs of pink disease? If there is a genetic susceptibility, why isn’t it seen in those with the greatest exposures? 2) Why isn’t there a report of high autism prevalence in the children, just the grandchildren? My guess is that the response from some will be that the grandchildren received higher doses of mercury in vaccines than did their parents. Which again would beg the question of where is the high rate of autism in those exposed to the teething powders, especially those who developed pink disease.The conclusions of this paper have some major logical hurdles to overcome, to say the least. And this is even before the methods are addressed. For example, this all hinges on reports by the grandparents. Not on an actual prevalence measure of the descendants."
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
57. Lasting neuropathological changes in rat brain after intermittent neonatal administration of thimerosal. (Original Taylor number = 54)
Correct citation: Olczak M, Duszczyk M, Mierzejewski P, Wierzba-Bobrowicz T, Majewska MD. Lasting neuropathological changes in rat brain after intermittent neonatal administration of thimerosal. Folia Neuropathol. 2010;48(4):258-69.
Rat study on thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Note: lead researcher M Dorota Majewska seems to have specialized in rat studies that show thimerosal damage.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
58. Persistent behavioral impairments and alterations of brain dopamine system after early postnatal administration of thimerosal in rats. (Not in Taylor’s original list.)
Correct citation: Olczak M, Duszczyk M, Mierzejewski P, Meyza K, Majewska MD. Persistent behavioral impairments and alterations of brain dopamine system after early postnatal administration of thimerosal in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2011 Sep 30;223(1):107-18. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.04.026. Epub 2011 Apr 28.
Rat study on thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Note: lead researcher M Dorota Majewska seems to have specialized in rat studies that show thimerosal damage.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
59. Risk Factors for Autistic Regression: Results of an Ambispective Cohort Study. (Original Taylor number = 56)
Correct citation: Zhang Y, Xu Q, Liu J, Li SC, Xu X. Risk factors for autistic regression: results of an ambispective cohort study. J Child Neurol. 2012 Aug;27(8):975-81. doi: 10.1177/0883073811430163. Epub 2012 Jan 30.
Cohort study on 170 autistic Chinese children. Study does not mention vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
The complete series
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 1)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 2)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 3)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 4)
Comments