title: Frequency of CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of Egyptian children with autism.
abstract: Autoimmunity may have a role in autism, although the origins of autoimmunity in autism are unknown. CD4( +)CD25(high) regulatory T cells play an important role in the establishment of immunological self-tolerance, thereby preventing autoimmunity. The authors are the first to study the frequency of CD4(+)CD25( high) regulatory T cells in the blood of 30 autistic and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Patients with autism had significantly lower frequency of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells than healthy children (P < .001). These cells were deficient in 73.3% of children with autism. Autistic patients with allergic manifestations (40%) and those with a family history of autoimmunity (53.3%) had a significantly lower frequency of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells than those without (P < .01 and P < .001, respectively). In conclusion, CD4(+)CD25( high) regulatory T cells are deficient in many children with autism. Deficiency of these cells may contribute to autoimmunity in a subgroup of children with autism. Consequently, CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells could be new potential therapeutic targets in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. hafezg@softhome.net
authors.forename: Gehan A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Shehab
authors.forename: Nermeen R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Fouad
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit