title: The Impact of Neuroimmune Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves a complex interplay of both genetic and environmental risk factors, with immune alterations and synaptic connection deficiency in early life. In the past decade, studies of ASD have substantially increased, in both humans and animal models. Immunological imbalance (including autoimmunity) has been proposed as a major etiological component in ASD, taking into account increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines observed in postmortem brain from patients, as well as autoantibody production. Also, epidemiological studies have established a correlation of ASD with family history of autoimmune diseases; associations with major histocompatibility complex haplotypes and abnormal levels of immunological markers in the blood. Moreover, the use of animal models to study ASD is providing increasing information on the relationship between the immune system and the pathophysiology of ASD. Herein, we will discuss the accumulating literature for ASD, giving special attention to the relevant aspects of factors that may be related to the neuroimmune interface in the development of ASD, including changes in neuroplasticity.
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorder (GETTEA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil ; Research Group in Neuroglial Plasticity, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil.
authors.forename: Carmem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gottfried
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorder (GETTEA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil ; Research Group in Neuroglial Plasticity, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil ; Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
authors.forename: Victorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bambini-Junior
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Université, Université Pierre et Marie Curie , Paris , France ; INSERM UMR-S 839 , Paris , France ; Institut du Fer à Moulin , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorder (GETTEA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil ; Child Neurology Unit, Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil.
authors.forename: Rudimar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riesgo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Savino
keywords: autism; environmental risk factors; neuroimmune interactions; rodent models; valproic acid