Microglia in the Cerebral Cortex in Autism

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 42; no. 12; pp. 2569 - 2584
• Main Authors: Tetreault, Nicole A., Hakeem, Atiya Y., Jiang, Sue, Williams, Brian A., Allman, Elizabeth, Wold, Barbara J., Allman, John M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.12.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anatomy; Autism; Autistic Disorder - pathology; Autopsy; Behavior Development; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain Hemisphere Functions; Cell Count; Cerebral cortex; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child clinical studies; Child, Preschool; Comparative Analysis; Complications and side effects; Cortex; Cortex (visual); Death; Density; Development and progression; Developmental disorders; Entorhinal cortex; Evidence; Female; Frontal Lobe - pathology; Humans; Infantile autism; Interviews; Male; Medical sciences; Microglia; Microglia - pathology; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Phenotypes; Physiological aspects; Probes; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public Health; Rating Scales; Records (Forms); Risk factors; Surgery; Visual Cortex - pathology; Young Adult; United States; Autism; Visual cortex; Microglia; Fronto-insular cortex; Cerebral cortex; Visual pathway; Neuroglia; Central nervous system; Developmental disorder; Insular cortex; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1513-0

We immunocytochemically identified microglia in fronto-insular (FI) and visual cortex (VC) in autopsy brains of well-phenotyped subjects with autism and matched controls, and stereologically quantified the microglial densities. Densities were determined blind to phenotype using an optical fractionator probe. In FI, individuals with autism had significantly more microglia compared to controls ( p  = 0.02). One such subject had a microglial density in FI within the control range and was also an outlier behaviorally with respect to other subjects with autism. In VC, microglial densities were also significantly greater in individuals with autism versus controls ( p  = 0.0002). Since we observed increased densities of microglia in two functionally and anatomically disparate cortical areas, we suggest that these immune cells are probably denser throughout cerebral cortex in brains of people with autism.