Abstract
BackgroundAccumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of the immune system is involved in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of the study was to explore immunological markers in peripheral plasma samples from non-medicated subjects with high-functioning ASD.Methodology/Principal FindingsA multiplex assay for cytokines and chemokines was applied to plasma samples from male subjects with high-functioning ASD (n = 28) and matched controls (n = 28). Among a total of 48 analytes examined, the plasma concentrations of IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12(p70), IL-13, IL-17 and GRO-α were significantly higher in subjects with ASD compared with the corresponding values of matched controls after correction for multiple comparisons.Conclusion/SignificanceThe results suggest that abnormal immune responses as assessed by multiplex analysis of cytokines may serve as one of the biological trait markers for ASD.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by pervasive abnormalities in social interaction and communication, and repetitive and restricted behavioral patterns and interests
Postmortem studies have shown that the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a) and interleukin (IL)-6 [5], as well as the number of activated microglia [6], are significantly increased in the brains of subjects with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) compared to controls
Plasma levels of IL1b, IL-1RA, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12(p70), IL-13, IL-17 and GRO-a were significantly higher in subjects with ASD compared with the corresponding values of matched controls after correction for multiple comparisons
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by pervasive abnormalities in social interaction and communication, and repetitive and restricted behavioral patterns and interests. Increased levels of inflammatory cytokines have been detected even in peripheral samples such as serum [8,9,10,11,12,13] or plasma [14,15,16,17,18] of patients with ASD. These findings suggest that the pattern of plasma cytokine levels could serve as a useful biological marker of ASD.
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