Original articleBrain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Autoantibodies to Neural Antigens in Sera of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, and Epilepsy
Section snippets
Subjects
Each child was examined by one of the authors (M.C., J.M.K., J.J.R., R.G.R., or R.K.D.) and assigned a diagnosis of autism (n = 37; 19 girls, 18 boys; 5.9 ± 3.9 years), childhood disintegrative disorder with regression after age 2 years (n = 19; 2 girls, 17 boys; 7.0 ± 2.4 years), pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (n = 14; 5 girls, 9 boys; 4.8 ± 3.9 years), Landau-Kleffner syndrome (n = 9; 9 boys; 7.4 ± 2.3 years), or epilepsy (n = 33; 16 girls, 17 boys; 5.9 ± 3.8 years).
BDNF Concentrations
Mean BDNF levels in autism and CDD were 32,279 pg/mL and 36,872 pg/mL, respectively, versus 8,708 pg/mL and 8,964 pg/mL for HC and NNI (p all < .0005) (Figure 1).
Immunocytochemistry of Human Cortex
Healthy children in our study (n = 29) showed no IgG, IgM positive immunostaining, or ANA values above 1:40. Only 2 of 21 children with NNI showed positive IgG or IgM autoantibodies to endothelial cells. Interestingly, the two children with NNI illnesses who had autoantibodies by immunocytochemistry also had probable autoimmune
Discussion
Recently, excesses of specific neurotrophins and neuropeptides present in newborn infants blood have been shown to have predictive value in determining those children who will later have disruption of intellectual and or social development (Nelson et al 2001). Using recycling immunoaffinity chromatography, Nelson et al (2001) found that neonatal concentrations of BDNF, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT4/5) were higher in
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