Amniotic fluid inflammatory cytokines: Potential markers of immunologic dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders

作者：Abdallah Morsi W^*; Larsen Nanna; Grove Jakob; Norgaard Pedersen Bent; Thorsen Poul; Mortensen Erik L; Hougaard David M

来源：World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 2013, 14(7): 528-538.

DOI：10.3109/15622975.2011.639803

• Autistic disorder
• amniotic fluid
• cytokines
• birth cohort
• maternal immune activation

Objectives. The aim of the study was to analyze cytokine profiles in amniotic fluid (AF) samples of children developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and controls, adjusting for maternal autoimmune disorders and maternal infections during pregnancy. Methods. AF samples of 331 ASD cases and 698 controls were analyzed for inflammatory cytokines using Luminex xMAP technology utilizing a historic birth cohort. Clinical data were retrieved from nationwide registers, and case-control differences in AF cytokine levels were assessed using chi-square tests, logistic and tobit regression models. Results. Overall, individuals with ASD had significantly elevated AF levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta compared to controls. Analyzing individuals diagnosed only with ICD-10 codes yielded significantly elevated levels of IL-4, IL-10, TNF-a and TNF-beta in ASD patients. Restricting analysis to infantile autism cases showed significantly elevated levels of IL-4, TNF-a and TNF-beta compared to controls with no psychiatric comorbidities. Elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-5 were found in individuals with other childhood psychiatric disorders (OCPD) when compared to controls with no psychiatric comorbidities. Conclusions. AF samples of individuals with ASD or OCPD showed differential cytokine profiles compared to frequency-matched controls. Further studies to examine the specificity of the reported cytokine profiles in ASD and OCPD are required.

• 出版日期2013-9