Update: A Republished Article · Jul 13, 10:45 AM

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On July 5, 2006, the journal Hormone Research republished Mark and David Geier’s article, A Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation of Methionine Cycle-Transsulfuration and Androgen Pathway Markers in Children with Autistic Disorders. Whereas the version originally published on May 9, 2006, gave David Geier’s affiliation as, “Department of Biochemistry, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.” the amended article identified him as, “President, MedCon, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA, Tel. +1 301 384 6988.”

The new version of the article also contains a “Potential Conflict of Interest and Affiliation Statement” that did not appear in the original version:

“Dr. Mark Geier is not affiliated with MedCon, Inc. David Geier is the President of MedCon. MedCon does not have a financial interest in relation to autism and puberty. Neither Dr. Mark Geier nor David Geier has any conflict of interest regarding anything related to this paper.”

The remainder of the article is identical to the one previously published, including the statement, “The Institutional Review Board of the Institute for Chronic Illnesses approved the present study.”

A publisher’s disclaimer — featured once per issue in many Karger journals — also appears at the bottom of the last page:

“The statements, options and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.”

It is ironic that this disclaimer should be appended to this particular article, considering the likelihood that it will be used by its authors in efforts to convince non-scientist parents to consent to have their autistic children evaluated for “precocious puberty” and administered Lupron in conjunction with chelation in order to relieve supposed “mercury toxicity.”

The article’s republication affords the opportunity for both endocrinologists and the general public to express to the editors any concerns they might have, and for responses to be published in the journal itself. The editors of Hormone Research can be contacted at:

S. Karger AG
Editorial Office ‘Hormone Research’
P.O. Box
CH–4009 Basel (Switzerland)
hre@karger.ch
Manuela Meyer, Editorial Office

The following individuals are the journal’s Associate Editors:

Paul Czernichow, Editor-in-Chief
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology
Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
paul.czernichow@rdb.ap-hop-paris.fr
Jean-Claude Carel
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology
Groupe hospitalier Cochin-Saint Vincent de Paul and Faculté Cochin
Université Paris, France
carel@cochin.inserm.fr
Peter E. Clayton
Endocrine Science Research Group
University of Manchester, U.K.
peter.clayton@manchester.ac.uk
P.E. Mullis
Paediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism
University Children’s Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
primus.mullis@insel.ch
Paul Saenger
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.
PHSaenger@aol.com
M.O. Savage
Paediatric Endocrinology Section
Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, U.K.
m.o.savage@qmul.ac.uk
Olle Söder
Paediatric Endocrinology Unit
Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
olle.soder@kbh.ki.se
Guy Van Vliet
Endocrinology Service and Research Center
Sainte-Justine Hospital, Department of Pediatrics
University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
guy.van-vliet@recherche-ste-justine.qc.ca

to Significant Misrepresentations, Part Six:
“Desperation Time”

Comments


  1. That Conflicts of Interest statement is unbelievable. I’m at a loss for words.

    — Joseph    Jul 13, 12:07 PM    #

  2. Thanks for the links to the editorial board – much appreciated. Since this lot seem to be a little naive, perhaps we can interest editorial boards of other endocrinology journals – likely to be movers and shakers in the field. ‘Hormone Research’ is going to regret this lapse in judgement, but not nearly as much as the escalating numbers of autistic kids who are going to be subjected to the Lupron protocol on the back of this journal publication.

    — Alyric    Jul 14, 08:25 PM    #

  3. Huh? I thought the Geiers were trying to patent their protocol. Are they sneaking through the same loophole Wakefield did with his Lancet paper and measles vaccine? Or are the editors of this journal dense?

    — anonimouse    Jul 17, 02:14 PM    #