Elevated immune response in the brain of autistic patients

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 207; no. 1; pp. 111 - 116
• Main Authors: Li, Xiaohong, Chauhan, Abha, Sheikh, Ashfaq M., Patil, Sangita, Chauhan, Ved, Li, Xiu-Min, Ji, Lina, Brown, Ted, Malik, Mazhar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.02.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergy and Immunology; Autistic Disorder - immunology; Autistic Disorder - pathology; Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD); Brain - immunology; Brain - pathology; Case-Control Studies; Chemokines - metabolism; Child; Child, Preschool; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Female; Flow cytometry method; Humans; Immune response; Inflammation; Male; Multiplexed bead analysis; Neurology; Statistics, Nonparametric; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Young Adult; Multiplexed bead analysis; Inflammation; Immune response; Cytokines; Flow cytometry method; Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2008.12.002

This study determined immune activities in the brain of ASD patients and matched normal subjects by examining cytokines in the brain tissue. Our results showed that proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and GM-CSF), Th1 cytokine (IFN-γ) and chemokine (IL-8) were significantly increased in the brains of ASD patients compared with the controls. However the Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10) showed no significant difference. The Th1/Th2 ratio was also significantly increased in ASD patients. Conclusion: ASD patients displayed an increased innate and adaptive immune response through the Th1 pathway, suggesting that localized brain inflammation and autoimmune disorder may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD.