Current evidence continues to mount demonstrating immune dysfunction and inflammation in specific brain regions of children diagnosed with autism.
In a new study, researchers found that pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines apparently play roles in autism.
They proved a cascade of cytokines is linked to autism by studying the post-mortem brain tissue of eight children who had been diagnosed with autism prior to death.
The research was conducted by a collaborative group in Boston and Italy.
The team focused on interleukins—cytokines—that flourish in regions of the brain associated with the behavior.
The persistent presence of inflammatory markers, such as certain interleukins (abbreviated by the letter IL), provides a telltale sign that inflammation plays an important role in autism.
The results highlight the connection between inflammation and autism.
IL-37, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is increased along with the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and its receptor IL-18R in the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of children with autism.
The team says stopping the flow of pro-inflammatory proteins, the development of IL-37 could provide the first medication for autism.
Currently, physicians diagnose the neurodevelopmental condition based on behavioral symptoms.
Children with an autism spectrum disorder frequently indulge in repetitive behaviors.
Impaired communication is another symptom that experts assess. Some children do not speak, even when they are long past the milestone when speech is expected. Others do not make eye contact or play with siblings.
One author of the study is Susan Leeman of Boston University.
The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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