Does a virus cause autism?

What is it about?

One of the most puzzling aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is that identical twins, who share identical DNA, do not have 100% concordance rates (both twins have it). Identical, monozygotic twins only have concordance rates of about 88%, while fraternal, dizygotic twins have concordance rates of about 31%. These twin observations alone provide clues into the etiology: ASD must involve something present in the prenatal environment that both identical twins are not always exposed to because they do not always share it. Identical twins can share the same placenta about 70% of the time or they can have their own placentas about 30% of the time, while fraternal twins always have their own placentas. The subtle differences between the prenatal environments of identical twins, especially their placentas, might explain why a 100% concordance rate of ASD does not exist for them. The placenta often temporarily drops down near the cervix during the first trimester, especially for males and twins, where it can pick up an infection and transmit it to the fetus. The most prevalent cervical infection worldwide that is also increasing at an exponential rate like autism is human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV has been found in the cervix and placentas and is known to be transferred to the fetus in utero, but it has never been tested for in ASD individuals because there are no cell types that it can infect in the brain. However, HPV can reside in the epithelium cells of the choroid plexus, a small central structure inside the brain that makes cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). CSF was found to be increased in the ventricles of the brains in children 6 and 12 months old that later developed ASD. The more CSF produced, the worse the symptoms. In this paper, we reveal HPVs ‘fingerprints’ as the biochemical evidence, including epigenetic changes, needed to specifically identify it as the culprit behind ASD.

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Why is it important?

It is important to know if HPV is the culprit behind ASD because we have a nine-valent vaccine that may prevent future occurrences if one of the strains is the cause of it. In addition, cross reactivity has been known to occur with HPV strains not covered by the vaccine. This vaccine may also help infected individuals eliminate the virus and improve their symptoms because it has been used on HPV-positive infected individuals that had oral and cervical warts and the warts disappeared. Vitamin D3 supplementation works to decrease the prevalence and symptoms of ASD because it increases the immune system's defense of the mother and the child to help control and eliminate the virus by activating T cells.

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