title: Possible immunological disorders in autism: concomitant autoimmunity and immune tolerance.
abstract: Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that affect children early in their life. Immunological disorders is one of several contributing factors that have been suggested to cause autism. Thirty autistic children aged 3-6 years and thirty non-autistic psychologically-free siblings were studied. Circulating IgA and IgG autoantibodies to casein and gluten dietary proteins were detected by enzyme-immunoassays (EIA). Circulating IgG antibodies to measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (M.M.R) and cytomeglovirus were investigated by EIA. Results revealed high seropositivity for autoantibodies to casein and gluten: 83.3% and 50% respectively in autistic children as compared to 10% and 6.7% positivity in the control group. Surprisingly, circulating anti-measles, anti-mumps and anti-rubella IgG were positive in only 50%, 73.3% and 53.3% respectively as compared to 100% positivity in the control group. Anti-CMV IgG was positive in 43.3% of the autistic children as compared to 7% in the control group. It is concluded that, autoimmune response to dietary proteins and deficient immune response to measles, mumps and rubella vaccine antigens might be associated with autism, as a leading cause or a resulting event. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine (For Girls), Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maha I S
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Kawashti
authors.forename: Omnia R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Nadia G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Rowehy
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001323:Autoantibodies; D004044:Dietary Proteins