Antibrain antibodies in children with autism and their unaffected siblings

J Neuroimmunol. 2006 Sep;178(1-2):149-55. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2006.05.025. Epub 2006 Jul 13.

Abstract

Serum autoantibodies to human brain, identified by ELISA and Western immunoblotting, were evaluated in 29 children with autism spectrum disorder (22 with autistic disorder), 9 non-autistic siblings and 13 controls. More autistic subjects than controls had bands at 100 kDa in caudate, putamen and prefrontal cortex (p<0.01) as well as larger peak heights of bands at 73 kDa in the cerebellum and cingulate gyrus. Both autistic disorder subjects and their matched non-autistic siblings had denser bands (peak height and/or area under the curve) at 73 kDa in the cerebellum and cingulate gyrus than did controls (p<0.01). Results suggest that children with autistic disorder and their siblings exhibit differences compared to controls in autoimmune reactivity to specific epitopes located in distinct brain regions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autistic Disorder / immunology*
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Brain / immunology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pedigree
  • Siblings

Substances

  • Autoantibodies