Maternal neuronal antibodies associated with autism and a language disorder.
Neurodevelopmental disorders could be caused by maternal antibodies or other serum factors. We detected serum antibodies binding to rodent Purkinje cells and other neurons in a mother of three children: the first normal, the second with autism, and the third with a severe specific language disorder. We injected the serum (0.5-1.0 ml/day) into pregnant mice during gestation and found altered exploration and motor coordination and changes in cerebellar magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the mouse offspring, comparing with offspring of mice injected with sera from mothers of healthy children. This evidence supports a role for maternal antibodies in some forms of neurodevelopmental disorder.
Dalton
Paola
P
Neurosciences Group, Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Deacon
Robert
R
Blamire
Andy
A
Pike
Michael
M
McKinlay
Ian
I
Stein
John
J
Styles
Peter
P
Vincent
Angela
A
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000494:pharmacology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity; D004856:Postural Balance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M