Some people think autism should be classified as an autoimmune disorder. Most autistics have autoimmunity in the form of antibodies that attack the brain (anti-MBP autoantibodies). These autoantibodies that attack the brain also occur in other neurological disorders.
Information about MBP autoantibodies
Quote:
MBP autoantibody titers are highly correlated to exacerbation and relapse in MS. MBP autoantibodies are also found in up to 64% of HIV-associated neurological syndrome, 58% of autistic children, 30% of Japanese encephalitis and 30% of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) patients.
http://www.specialtylabs.com/tests/details.asp?id=105658% of autistics have myelin basic protein (MBP) autoantibodies
Where do these autoantibodies come from?
60% of autistics have an unusual MMR antibody, of these 90% have anti-MBP autoantibodies
90% of autistics with measles antibodies (from vaccine) have anti-MBP autoantibodies
84% of autistics with human herpes virus 6 antibodies have anti-MBP autoantibodies
83% of autistics have autoantibodies against casein (protein found in milk)
50% of autistics have autoantibodies against gluten (protein found in wheat)
I think it's interesting that anti-MBP autoantibodies are associated with measles in autism because these autoantibodies are also associated with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) which is a brain disorder caused by infection with a mutant measles virus. The measles virus in SSPE causes inflammation in the brain that causes the brain to swell. Some studies find inflammation and larger brains in autistics.
Quote:
Brain Behav Immun. 1993 Mar;7(1):97-103.
Antibodies to myelin basic protein in children with autistic behavior.
Singh VK, Warren RP, Odell JD, Warren WL, Cole P.
Biomedical Division, Center for Persons with Disabilities, Logan, Utah.
Based on a possible pathological relationship of autoimmunity to autism, antibodies reactive with myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) were investigated in the sera of autistic children. Using a screening serum dilution of 1:400 in the protein-immunoblotting technique, approximately 58% (19 of 33) sera of autistic children (< or = 10 years of age) were found to be positive for anti-MBP. This result in autistics was significantly (p < or = .0001) different from the controls (8 of 88 or only 9% positive), which included age-matched children with normal health, idiopathic mental retardation (MR) and Down syndrome (DS), and normal adults of 20 to 40 years of age. Since autism is a syndrome of unknown etiology, it is possible that anti-MBP antibodies are associated with the development of autistic behavior.
PMID: 7682457 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Quote:
ELISA analysis showed a significant increase in the level of MMR antibodies in autistic children.
Immunoblotting analysis revealed the presence of an unusual MMR antibody in 75 of 125 (60%) autistic sera but not in control sera...Furthermore,
over 90% of MMR antibody-positive autistic sera were also positive for MBP autoantibodies, suggesting a strong association between MMR and CNS autoimmunity in autism. Stemming from this evidence, we suggest that an inappropriate antibody response to MMR, specifically the measles component thereof, might be related to pathogenesis of autism.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12145534Quote:
Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1998 Oct;89(1):105-8.
Serological association of measles virus and human herpesvirus-6 with brain autoantibodies in autism.
Singh VK, Lin SX, Yang VC.
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1065, USA.
Considering an autoimmunity and autism connection, brain autoantibodies to myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) and neuron-axon filament protein (anti-NAFP) have been found in autistic children. In this current study, we examined associations between virus serology and autoantibody by simultaneous analysis of measles virus antibody (measles-IgG), human herpesvirus-6 antibody (HHV-6-IgG), anti-MBP, and anti-NAFP. We found that measles-IgG and HHV-6-IgG titers were moderately higher in autistic children but they did not significantly differ from normal controls. Moreover,
we found that a vast majority of virus serology-positive autistic sera was also positive for brain autoantibody: (i) 90% of measles-IgG-positive autistic sera was also positive for anti-MBP; (ii) 73% of measles-IgG-positive autistic sera was also positive for anti-NAFP; (iii) 84% of HHV-6-IgG-positive autistic sera was also positive for anti-MBP; and (iv) 72% of HHV-6-IgG-positive autistic sera was also positive for anti-NAFP. This study is the first to report an association between virus serology and brain autoantibody in autism; it supports the hypothesis that a virus-induced autoimmune response may play a causal role in autism. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9756729Quote:
Results revealed high seropositivity for autoantibodies to casein and gluten: 83.3% and 50% respectively in autistic children as compared to 10% and 6.7% positivity in the control group.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17974154
Other Immunological findings in autism -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
29 Jan 2008, 1:13 am
