Glial fibrillary acidic protein is elevated in superior frontal, parietal and cerebellar cortices of autistic subjects

• Published in: Cerebellum (London, England) Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 206 - 210
• Main Authors: Laurence, J A, Fatemi, S H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2005
• Subjects: Actin; Adult; Autism; Autistic Disorder - metabolism; Brain; Cell migration; Cerebellar Cortex - metabolism; Cerebellum; Children; Female; Frontal Lobe - metabolism; Gel electrophoresis; Glial fibrillary acidic protein; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Gliosis; Humans; Immune system; Leukocyte migration; Male; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Parietal Lobe - metabolism; Postmortem Changes; Reference Values; Sodium lauryl sulfate; Western blotting
• ISSN: 1473-4222; 1473-4230
• DOI: 10.1080/14734220500208846

Autism is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder of early childhood with both genetic and environmental origins. Immune system dysregulation has been hypothesized to be involved in this disorder. We quantified levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ss-actin in three areas of the brain, namely, area 9, area 40 and cerebellum, in age matched autistic and control postmortem specimen using SDS-PAGE and western blotting techniques. Significant elevations in levels of GFAP were observed in all three brain areas in autism. This report confirms a recent report showing microglial and astroglial activation in autism. Increased GFAP levels in autistic brains signify gliosis, reactive injury, and perturbed neuronal migration processes.