Significant association of HLA A2-DR11 with CD4 naive decrease in autistic children.
Nine autistic children and 37 ethnically homogenous controls were enrolled in the study to assess their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) pattern, and eight healthy children were studied to define their peripheral blood cell subsets. We observed a significant decrease in CD4+ naive and an increase in CD4+ memory T cells in autistic children. These differences were significantly more pronounced in the autistic children bearing the HLA A2 and DR11 alleles. These data support the hypothesis that autism could be due to an immune imbalance occurring in genetically predisposed children.
Ferrante
Pasquale
P
Laboratory of Biology, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation, IRCCS, via Capecelatro 66, 20148 Milan, Italy. pferrante@dongnocchi.it
Saresella
Marina
M
Guerini
Franca R
FR
Marzorati
Michela
M
Musetti
Maria C
MC
Cazzullo
Adriana Guareschi
AG
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C080766:HLA-DR11 antigen