title: Transcriptional activity of human endogenous retrovirus in Albanian children with autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) result from interactions between genetic and environmental factors, whose possible links could be represented by epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we investigated the transcriptional activity of three human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) families, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Albanian ASD children, by quantitative real-time PCR. We aimed to confirm the different expression profile already found in Italian ASD children, and to highlight any social and family health condition emerging from information gathered through a questionnaire, to be included among environmental risk factors. The presence of increased HERV-H transcriptional activity in all autistic patients could be understood as a constant epigenetic imprinting of the disease, potentially useful for early diagnosis and for the development of effective novel therapeutic strategies.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cipriani
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matteucci
authors.forename: Natale
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Capodicasa
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilika
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Korca
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: Ayele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argaw-Denboba
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: Martino Tony
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Miele
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coniglio
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alessandrelli
authors.forename: Paola Sinibaldi
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Vallebona
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
keywords: Autism spectrum disorders; Biological marker; Early diagnosis; Human endogenous retroviruses; PBMCs