Immunity, neuroglia and neuroinflammation in autism
Immunity, neuroglia and neuroinflammation in autism
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DOI：
10.1080/02646830500381930
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发表时间：
2006-01-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Zimmerman, AW
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Pardo, CA;Vargas, DL;Zimmerman, AW
自闭症是一种起病较早的复杂神经发育障碍，其临床表现具有很高的变异性。尽管大多数自闭症患者的病因尚不清楚，但有几项研究支持这样的观点，即遗传和环境因素都会影响自闭症认知过程和行为背后的异常皮质回路的发展。免疫系统在自闭症发展中的作用存在争议。几项显示外周免疫异常的研究支持免疫假说，然而直到最近，在中枢神经系统还没有免疫发现。我们最近证实了自闭症患者脑组织和脑脊液中存在神经胶质细胞和天然神经免疫系统的激活，这一发现支持了自闭症患者大脑中存在神经免疫异常的观点，并可能有助于自闭症表型的多样性。神经胶质细胞激活和神经炎症的作用仍不确定，但可能对维持自闭症中存在的一些中枢神经系统异常(如果不是启动的话)起到关键作用。更好地了解神经炎症在自闭症发病机制中的作用可能具有重要的临床和治疗意义。
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder of early onset that is highly variable in its clinical presentation. Although the causes of autism in most patients remain unknown, several lines of research support the view that both genetic and environmental factors influence the development of abnormal cortical circuitry that underlies autistic cognitive processes and behaviors. The role of the immune system in the development of autism is controversial. Several studies showing peripheral immune abnormalities support immune hypotheses, however until recently there have been no immune findings in the CNS. We recently demonstrated the presence of neuroglial and innate neuroimmune system activation in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with autism, findings that support the view that neuroimmune abnormalities occur in the brain of autistic patients and may contribute to the diversity of the autistic phenotypes. The role of neuroglial activation and neuroinflammation are still uncertain but could be critical in maintaining, if not also in initiating, some of the CNS abnormalities present in autism. A better understanding of the role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of autism may have important clinical and therapeutic implications.