title: Autism spectrum disorders are associated with an elevated autoantibody response to tissue transglutaminase-2.
abstract: We report that a significant number of autistic children have serum levels of IgA antibodies above normal to the enzyme tissue transglutaminase II (TG2), and that expression of these antibodies to TG2 is linked to the (HLA)-DR3, DQ2 and DR7, DQ2 haplotypes. TG2 is expressed in the brain, where it has been shown to be important in cell adhesion and synaptic stabilization. Thus, these children appear to constitute a subpopulation of autistic children who fall within the autism disease spectrum, and for whom autoimmunity may represent a significant etiological component of their autism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. arosenspire@wayne.edu
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenspire
authors.forename: Wonsuk
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Sherri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menard
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015809:HLA-DR7 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C053186:HLA-DQ2 antigen; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D015809:HLA-DR7 Antigen; C000717608:TGM2 protein, human; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins