Abstract
This study examined the linkage between elevated blood serotonin in autism and the presence of circulating autoantibodies agianst the serotonin 5HT 1A receptor. Information was also obtained on the diagnostic and receptor specificity of these autoantibodies. Blood serotonin was measured as was inhibition of serotonin binding to human cortical membranes by antibody-rich fractions of blood from controls and from patients with childhood autism, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's, and multiple sclerosis. The results showed elevated blood serotonin was not closely related to inhibition of serotonin binding by antibody-rich blood fractions. Inhibition of binding was highest for patients with multiple sclerosis and was not specific to the 5HT 1A receptor as currently defined. Although inhibition was not specific to autism, the data were insufficient to establish if people with autism differed from normal controls on this measure.
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Primary funding was provided by the Stallone Foundation grant No: P860627 to AY and the Veterans Administration Medical Research Service. Ancillary support came from grants R37 MH39085 (merit award); Research Scientist Award K05 MH00796; NIMH-DHHS R01 MH 37020 and the Boyd and Elsie Welin Professorship to J. C. Shih from Public Health Service NS 08711 supporting the UCLA MS Research and Treatment Program (GWE) and from a Grant-in-Aid from the Psychoneuroendocrine Program to B. H. King. We are indebted to Richard D. Todd (Washington University School of Medicine) for providing details of his procedure together with a “positive” and “negative” serum sample used in testing our procedure. We thank L. W. Myers, Carole Lerner, and Sharon Craig for collecting MS blood samples and are especially indebted to Selma Plotkin and Bennie L. Bennett for their excellent technical assistance.
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Yuwiler, A., Shih, J.C., Chen, CH. et al. Hyperserotoninemia and antiserotonin antibodies in autism and other disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 22, 33–45 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046401
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046401