title: Brief report: "allergic symptoms" in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. More than meets the eye?
abstract: Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have either family and/or personal history of "allergic symptomatology", often in the absence of positive skin or RAST tests. These symptoms may suggest mast cell activation by non-allergic triggers. Moreover, children with mastocytosis or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a spectrum of rare diseases characterized by increased number of activated mast cells in many organs, appear to have ASD at a rate tenfold higher (1/10 children) than that of the general population (1/100 children). Mast cell activation by allergic, infectious, environmental and stress-related triggers, especially perinatally, would release pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules. We speculate these could disrupt the gut-blood-brain barriers, thus contributing to brain inflammation and ASD pathogenesis. Increased mast cell responsiveness may define at least a subgroup of ASD subjects, who could benefit from inhibition of mast cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Molecular Physiology and Pharmacology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Suite M&V-208, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Asimenia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angelidou
authors.forename: Konstantinos-Dionysios
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Alysandratos
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.forename: Bodi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Magdalini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasiadi
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalogeromitros
authors.forename: Theoharis C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Theoharides
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology; D008415:Mastocytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors