Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

of 88 or only 9% positive), which included age-matched children with normal
health, idiopathic mental retardation (MR) and Down syndrome (DS), and normal
adults of 20 to 40 years of age. Since autism is a syndrome of unknown etiology,
it is possible that anti-MBP antibodies are associated with the development of
autistic behavior.
PMID: 7682457 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Singh VK, Singh EA, Warren RP. Hyperserotoninemia and serotonin receptor antibodies
in children with autism but not mental retardation. Biol Psychiatry. 1997 Mar
15;41(6):753-5.
Veterans Administration West Los Angeles Medical Center, California 90073.
This study examined the linkage between elevated blood serotonin in autism and
the presence of circulating autoantibodies against the serotonin 5HT1A receptor.
Information was also obtained on the diagnostic and receptor specificity of these
autoantibodies. Blood serotonin was measured as was inhibition of serotonin
binding to human cortical membranes by antibody-rich fractions of blood from
controls and from patients with childhood autism, schizophrenia, obsessivecompulsive
disorder, Tourette's, and multiple sclerosis. The results showed
elevated blood serotonin was not closely related to inhibition of serotonin binding
by antibody-rich blood fractions. Inhibition of binding was highest for patients
with multiple sclerosis and was not specific to the 5HT1A receptor as currently
defined. Although inhibition was not specific to autism, the data were insufficient
to establish if people with autism differed from normal controls on this measure.
PMID: 1375597 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Singh VK, Rivas WH. Prevalence of serum antibodies to caudate nucleus in autistic
children. Neurosci Lett. 2004 Jan 23;355(1-2):53-6.
Department of Biology, Biotechnology Center Building, Utah State University,
4700 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4700, USA. singhvk@cc.usu.edu
Autism may involve autoimmunity to brain. We studied regional distribution of
antibodies to rat caudate nucleus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brain stem and
hippocampus. The study included 30 normal and 68 autistic children. Antibodies
were assayed by immunoblotting. Autistic children, but not normal children, had
antibodies to caudate nucleus (49% positive sera), cerebral cortex (18% positive
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