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This study is a collaborative effort with colleagues at the California Department of Health Services and CDC Newborn Screening Branch lab. We have obtained archived neonatal blood spot samples from over 1700 children diagnosed with autism, mental retardation, or population controls. These samples will be analyzed to determine the presence of various antibodies, including those that react to nervous system and thyroid tissues. If these proteins are more common among cases, it may provide evidence for an autoimmune involvement in the etiology of autism. Information on exposure to pesticides and air pollutants will also be incorporated, to investigate whether environmental exposures affect the relationship between autoimmunity and ASDs.
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