Essay
Vitamin D and pollutants:
relevance to autism and chronic disease
Teresa Binstock
April 27, 2012
Revised
05-03-12
Abstract: Low levels of vitamin D are associated with various pollutants and with various pathologies (eg, CVD, diabetes, obesity, PCOS). A recently published study suggested that low levels of vitamin D might have been caused by the intra-body presence of organochlorine pesticides (PMID: 22295072). Numerous studies describe a) enzymatic production of calcitriol by CYP27B1, and b) calcitriol's catabolism by two enzymes, CYP3A4 and CYP24A1. Regulation of calcitriol levels in humans is complex and has tissue-specific variation. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and the pregnane X receptor (PXR aka SXR, the steroid and xenobiotic sensing nuclear receptor) participate in processes leading to the catabolism of calcitriol. AHR and PXR can be activated by various pollutants including but possibly not limited to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bisphenol A, phthalates, PCBs, and at least some organochlorine molecules. Since vitamin D has so many important functions, whether or not low levels of vitamin D can be induced by intra-body pollutants merits investigation.
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Researcher in Developmental &
Behavioral Neuroanatomy
In 1997, after a 50+ years of
symptoms, Teresa was diagnosed as having Asperger's
Syndrome. Her intense focus, perserveration, and hyperlexicality have augmented her research.
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