title: Persistent Angiogenesis in the Autism Brain: An Immunocytochemical Study of Postmortem Cortex, Brainstem and Cerebellum.
abstract: In the current work, we conducted an immunocytochemical search for markers of ongoing neurogenesis (e.g. nestin) in auditory cortex from postmortem sections of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age-matched control donors. We found nestin labeling in cells of the vascular system, indicating blood vessels plasticity. Evidence of angiogenesis was seen throughout superior temporal cortex (primary auditory cortex), fusiform cortex (face recognition center), pons/midbrain and cerebellum in postmortem brains from ASD patients but not control brains. We found significant increases in both nestin and CD34, which are markers of angiogenesis localized to pericyte cells and endothelial cells, respectively. This labeling profile is indicative of splitting (intussusceptive), rather than sprouting, angiogenesis indicating the blood vessels are in constant flux rather than continually expanding.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biology and Psychiatry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY, 10003, USA. eca1@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Azmitia
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biology and Psychiatry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Z T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Saccomano
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biology and Psychiatry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Alzoobaee
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology Program in Integrative Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Whitaker-Azmitia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers; D064231:Nestin
keywords: CD34; Endothelial; Intussusceptive; Nestin; Pericytes; Superior temporal cortex