title: CD4+ helper T cell depression in autism.
abstract: CD4+ (helper) T cells are a heterogenous population of lymphocytes including at least two distinct subpopulations. To investigate the possibility that immune abnormalities in some subjects with autism may involve abnormal distributions of CD4+ and/or CD8+ cells, (suppressor) T cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes of 25 autistic subjects were characterized with monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. The autistic subjects had a significantly lower percentage and number of CD4+ cells, a lower number of T cells (CD2+ cells) and B cells (CD20+ cells), and a lower percentage and number of total lymphocytes than siblings and normal subjects. The level of blood values for female subjects appeared lower than those for males as compared to normal subjects of the same sex. These results suggest that a decrease in CD4+ cells is associated with autism.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Center for Handicapped Persons, Utah State University, Logan 84322-6800.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yonk
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Odell
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*