The mystery of autism Tracking down the culprit behind this baffling disease

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12/30/04

The mystery of autism

Tracking down the culprit behind this baffling disease

By Hobson

Neurologists and parents desperately want to unlock the mystery of autism, a brain disorder that strikes as many as 5 of every 1,000 children and causes difficulty in communication, socialization, and learning. Numerous theories have been offered to explain the baffling disease, including genetic causes, environmental factors, and an attack on the brain by an immune system gone haywire. While there is evidence of a hereditary link, the disease is increasing quickly enough to suggest other factors are also involved, so scientists are busy studying those possibilities. (The scientific studies looking at vaccination as a potential cause have largely discounted this theory.)

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What the researchers wanted to know: Do the brains of patients with autism show signs of inflammation?

What they did: Researchers at s Hopkins University School of Medicine and other institutions looked at the brain tissue of 11 autistic patients, ages 5 to 44, who died of accidents and injuries. They were searching for certain proteins called cytokines and chemokines that are involved in the immune system. They also looked at the spinal fluid of six living autistic children to search for the same proteins.

What they found: Both the brain tissue samples and the spinal fluid featured patterns of cytokines and chemokines that indicate inflammation—the swelling and reddening that accompanies an immune response. Researchers found inflammation in different parts of the brains, most notably the cerebellum, produced by two kinds of brain cells, astroglia and microglia. Unlike other studies, the findings also showed that the inflammation originated in the brain and wasn't caused by an immune response to something elsewhere in the body.

What the study means to you: These results don't lead to an immediate treatment for autism. However, looking for the presence of these proteins in the spinal fluid might someday become a way to diagnose the disease. If the inflammation is eventually identified as the culprit in autism, it might be possible to combat it as a way to arrest the disorder.

Caveats: The exact role of the immune response isn't known. It could be causing the disease, or it might be a sign of a protective effort by the body against the real cause, in which case it would be more appropriate to promote, rather than discourage, inflammation.

Find out more: Information and support for those affected by autism from the Autism Society of America.

Read the article: Vargas, D.L. et al. "Neuroglial Activation and Neuroinflammation in the Brains of Patients with Autism." ls of Neurology. Published online, Nov. 15, 2004.

Abstract online: www3.interscience.wiley.com