Organic Compounds Detected in Deciduous Teeth: A Replication Study from Children with Autism in Two Samples

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Biological samples like blood and urine indicate recent exposures.
• Deciduous teeth are known biomarkers for early heavy metal exposure.
• Limited research exists on using teeth to detect early organic toxicant exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if organic chemicals found in typically developing children's teeth are also present in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
• To investigate the potential of deciduous teeth as biomarkers for early-life organic toxicant exposure in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 83 deciduous teeth from children diagnosed with ASD.
• Utilized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography for organic compound detection.
• Compared findings with previous research on semivolatile organic chemicals in teeth.

Main Results:

• Confirmed the presence of specific semivolatile organic chemicals in deciduous teeth from children with ASD.
• Demonstrated that teeth can serve as biomarkers for early-life exposure to organic compounds relevant to autism etiology.
• Findings align with prior studies identifying organic chemicals in teeth.

Conclusions:

• Deciduous teeth are viable biomarkers for assessing early-life exposure to organic toxicants.
• This research supports the use of teeth in epidemiological studies to identify differential exposures in children with and without autism.
• Teeth analysis offers a novel approach to understanding environmental influences on neurodevelopmental outcomes.