Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

Cook, E. H., Jr., B. D. Perry, et al. (1993). "Receptor inhibition by immunoglobulins:
specific inhibition by autistic children, their relatives, and control subjects." J Autism
Dev Disord 23(1): 67-78.
Forty-two parents of children with autistic disorder, 15 children with autistic
disorder, 17 siblings of children with autistic disorder, and 12 unrelated normal
adult controls were studied to determine if immunoglobulins isolated from their
plasma would inhibit binding of the 5HT1A agonist, [3H]-8-hydroxy-N,N-dipropyl-
2-aminotetralin (DPAT) to 5HT1A receptors in human hippocampal membranes.
There were no significant differences among the means of percentage inhibition
of DPAT binding of parents, children with autistic disorder, siblings, or unrelated
controls. In addition, there were no differences in the proportion of subjects with
> 15% DPAT inhibition among autistic children, their parents, their siblings, or
unrelated controls. Immunoglobulin inhibition was not specific for the 5HT1A
receptor binding site, since immunoglobulins inhibited binding to 5HT2, D1, D2,
and alpha 2-adrenergic binding sites. The immunoglobulins isolated from normal
controls inhibited [3H]-rauwolscine binding at alpha 2-adrenergic sites less than
immunoglobulins of children with autistic disorder and their parents and siblings.
This study did not support the hypothesis that autoantibodies to 5HT1A or 5HT2
receptors are characteristic of autistic disorder.
Cooper, E. L. (2003). "Neuroimmunology of autism: a multifaceted hypothesis." Int J
Immunopathol Pharmacol 16(3): 289-92.
Cortesi, M., E. Alfei, et al. (2007). "Linking autism, regression and Landau-Kleffner
syndrome: integrative role of nerve growth factor." Med Hypotheses 68(5): 1178-9.
Dalton, P., R. Deacon, et al. (2003). "Maternal neuronal antibodies associated with
autism and a language disorder." Ann Neurol 53(4): 533-7.
Neurodevelopmental disorders could be caused by maternal antibodies or other
serum factors. We detected serum antibodies binding to rodent Purkinje cells and
other neurons in a mother of three children: the first normal, the second with
autism, and the third with a severe specific language disorder. We injected the
serum (0.5-1.0 ml/day) into pregnant mice during gestation and found altered
exploration and motor coordination and changes in cerebellar magnetic
resonance spectroscopy in the mouse offspring, comparing with offspring of mice
injected with sera from mothers of healthy children. This evidence supports a
role for maternal antibodies in some forms of neurodevelopmental disorder.
Kern, J. K. (2003). "Purkinje cell vulnerability and autism: a possible etiological
connection." Brain Dev 25(6): 377-82.
Autism is a neurological disorder of unknown etiology. The onset of the abnormal
growth and development within the brain is also not known. Current thought by
experts in autism is that the time of onset is prenatal, occurring prior to 30
weeks gestation. However, autism comprises a heterogeneous population in that
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