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Bryzgalov LO, Korbolina EE, Brusentsov II, Leberfarb EY, Bondar NP, Merkulova TI. Novel functional variants at the GWAS-implicated loci might confer risk to major depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia. BMC Neurosci 2018; 19:22. [PMID: 29745862 PMCID: PMC5998904 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-018-0414-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A challenge of understanding the mechanisms underlying cognition including neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders is mainly given by the potential severity of cognitive disorders for the quality of life and their prevalence. However, the field has been focused predominantly on protein coding variation until recently. Given the importance of tightly controlled gene expression for normal brain function, the goal of the study was to assess the functional variation including non-coding variation in human genome that is likely to play an important role in cognitive functions. To this end, we organized and utilized available genome-wide datasets from genomic, transcriptomic and association studies into a comprehensive data corpus. We focused on genomic regions that are enriched in regulatory activity-overlapping transcriptional factor binding regions and repurpose our data collection especially for identification of the regulatory SNPs (rSNPs) that showed associations both with allele-specific binding and allele-specific expression. We matched these rSNPs to the nearby and distant targeted genes and then selected the variants that could implicate the etiology of cognitive disorders according to Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Next, we use DeSeq 2.0 package to test the differences in the expression of the certain targeted genes between the controls and the patients that were diagnosed bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia. Finally, we assess the potential biological role for identified drivers of cognition using DAVID and GeneMANIA. RESULTS As a result, we selected fourteen regulatory SNPs locating within the loci, implicated from GWAS for cognitive disorders with six of the variants unreported previously. Grouping of the targeted genes according to biological functions revealed the involvement of processes such as 'posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression', 'neuron differentiation', 'neuron projection development', 'regulation of cell cycle process' and 'protein catabolic processes'. We identified four rSNP-targeted genes that showed differential expression between patient and control groups depending on brain region: NRAS-in schizophrenia cohort, CDC25B, DDX21 and NUCKS1-in bipolar disorder cohort. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings are likely to provide the keys for unraveling the mechanisms that underlie cognitive functions including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia etiopathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid O. Bryzgalov
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
| | - Elena E. Korbolina
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
- The Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogova st., Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
| | - Ilja I. Brusentsov
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
| | - Elena Y. Leberfarb
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
| | - Natalia P. Bondar
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
- The Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogova st., Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
| | - Tatiana I. Merkulova
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 10 Lavrentyeva Prospekt, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
- The Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogova st., Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 630090
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102
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Maroteaux G, Arefin TM, Harsan LA, Darcq E, Ben Hamida S, Kieffer BL. Lack of anticipatory behavior in Gpr88 knockout mice showed by automatized home cage phenotyping. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12473. [PMID: 29575471 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models are widely used to understand genetic bases of behavior. Traditional testing typically requires multiple experimental settings, captures only snapshots of behavior and involves human intervention. The recent development of automated home cage monitoring offers an alternative method to study mouse behavior in their familiar and social environment, and over weeks. Here, we used the IntelliCage system to test this approach for mouse phenotyping, and studied mice lacking Gpr88 that have been extensively studied using standard testing. We monitored mouse behavior over 22 days in 4 different phases. In the free adaptation phase, Gpr88 -/- mice showed delayed habituation to the home cage, and increased frequency of same corner returns behavior in their alternation pattern. In the following nose-poke adaptation phase, non-habituation continued, however, mutant mice acquired nose-poke conditioning similar to controls. In the place learning and reversal phase, Gpr88-/- mice developed preference for the water/sucrose corner with some delay, but did not differ from controls for reversal. Finally, in a fixed schedule-drinking phase, control animals showed higher activity during the hour preceding water accessibility, and reduced activity after access to water was terminated. Mutant mice did not show this behavior, showing lack of anticipatory behavior. Our data therefore confirm hyperactivity, non-habituation and altered exploratory behaviors that were reported previously. Learning deficits described in other settings were barely detectable, and a novel phenotype was discovered. Home cage monitoring therefore extends previous findings and shows yet another facet of GPR88 function that deserves further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Maroteaux
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T M Arefin
- IGBMC-Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Radiology, Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - L-A Harsan
- Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Engineering Science, Computer Science and Imaging Laboratory (ICube), Integrative Multimodal Imaging in Healthcare, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, Strasbourg, France.,Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - E Darcq
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - S Ben Hamida
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,IGBMC-Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - B L Kieffer
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,IGBMC-Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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103
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Lin CY, Chang KW, Lin CY, Wu JY, Coon H, Huang PH, Ho HN, Akbarian S, Gau SSF, Huang HS. Allele-specific expression in a family quartet with autism reveals mono-to-biallelic switch and novel transcriptional processes of autism susceptibility genes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4277. [PMID: 29523860 PMCID: PMC5844893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22753-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, and the exact causal mechanism is unknown. Dysregulated allele-specific expression (ASE) has been identified in persons with ASD; however, a comprehensive analysis of ASE has not been conducted in a family quartet with ASD. To fill this gap, we analyzed ASE using genomic DNA from parent and offspring and RNA from offspring's postmortem prefrontal cortex (PFC); one of the two offspring had been diagnosed with ASD. DNA- and RNA-sequencing revealed distinct ASE patterns from the PFC of both offspring. However, only the PFC of the offspring with ASD exhibited a mono-to-biallelic switch for LRP2BP and ZNF407. We also identified a novel site of RNA-editing in KMT2C in addition to new monoallelically-expressed genes and miRNAs. Our results demonstrate the prevalence of ASE in human PFC and ASE abnormalities in the PFC of a person with ASD. Taken together, these findings may provide mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yen Lin
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong-He Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Wei Chang
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Lin
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Ying Wu
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Hilary Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - Pei-Hsin Huang
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Nerng Ho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Sung Huang
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
- Neurodevelopment Club in Taiwan, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
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104
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Edmiston E, Jones KL, Vu T, Ashwood P, Van de Water J. Identification of the antigenic epitopes of maternal autoantibodies in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 69:399-407. [PMID: 29289663 PMCID: PMC5857423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several groups have described the presence of fetal brain-reactive maternal autoantibodies in the plasma of some mothers whose children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We previously identified seven autoantigens targeted by these maternal autoantibodies, each of which is expressed at significant levels in the developing brain and has demonstrated roles in typical neurodevelopment. To further understand the binding repertoire of the maternal autoantibodies, as well as the presence of any meaningful differences with respect to the recognition and binding of these ASD-specific autoantibodies to each of these neuronal autoantigens, we utilized overlapping peptide microarrays incubated with maternal plasma samples obtained from the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) Study. In an effort to identify the most commonly recognized (immunodominant) epitope sequences targeted by maternal autoantibodies for each of the seven ASD-specific autoantigens, arrays were screened with plasma from mothers with children across diagnostic groups (ASD and typically developing (TD)) that were positive for at least one antigen by western blot (N = 67) or negative control mothers unreactive to any of the autoantigens (N = 18). Of the 63 peptides identified with the discovery microarrays, at least one immunodominant peptide was successfully identified for each of the seven antigenic proteins using subsequent selective screening microarrays. Furthermore, while limited by our relatively small sample size, there were peptides that were distinctly recognized by autoantibodies relative to diagnosis For example, reactivity was observed exclusively in mothers of children of ASD towards several peptides, including the LDH-B peptides DCIIIVVSNPVDILT (9.1% ASD vs. 0% TD; odds ratio (95% CI) = 6.644 (0.355-124.384)) and PVAEEEATVPNNKIT (5.5% ASD vs. 0% TD; odds ratio (95% CI) = 4.067 (0.203-81.403)).These results suggest that there are differences in the binding repertoire between the antigen positive ASD and TD maternal samples. Further, the autoantibodies in plasma from mothers of children with ASD bound to a more diverse set of peptides, and there were specific peptide binding combinations observed only in this group. Future studies are underway to determine the critical amino acids necessary for autoantibody binding, which will be essential in developing a potential therapeutic strategy for maternal autoantibody related (MAR) ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Edmiston
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; UC Davis MIND Institute, 2825 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
| | - Karen L Jones
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; UC Davis MIND Institute, 2825 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
| | - Tam Vu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Paul Ashwood
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Judy Van de Water
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; UC Davis MIND Institute, 2825 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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105
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Lewis EMA, Kroll KL. Development and disease in a dish: the epigenetics of neurodevelopmental disorders. Epigenomics 2018; 10:219-231. [PMID: 29334242 PMCID: PMC5810842 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2017-0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) involve mutations in hundreds of individual genes, with over-representation in genes encoding proteins that alter chromatin structure to modulate gene expression. Here, we highlight efforts to model these NDDs through in vitro differentiation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells into neurons. We discuss how epigenetic regulation controls normal cortical development, how mutations in several classes of epigenetic regulators contribute to NDDs, and approaches for modeling cortical development and function using both directed differentiation and formation of cerebral organoids. We explore successful applications of these models to study both syndromic and nonsyndromic NDDs and to define convergent mechanisms, addressing both the potential and challenges of using this approach to define cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily MA Lewis
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kristen L Kroll
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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106
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Schieve LA, Tian LH, Drews-Botsch C, Windham GC, Newschaffer C, Daniels JL, Lee LC, Croen LA, Danielle Fallin M. Autism spectrum disorder and birth spacing: Findings from the study to explore early development (SEED). Autism Res 2018; 11:81-94. [PMID: 29164825 PMCID: PMC5773391 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and birth spacing had limitations; few examined phenotypic case subtypes or explored underlying mechanisms for associations and none assessed whether other (non-ASD) developmental disabilities (DDs) were associated with birth spacing. We assessed associations between inter-pregnancy interval (IPI) and both ASD and other DDs using data from the Study to Explore Early Development, a multi-site case-control study with rigorous case-finding and case-classification methods and detailed data collection on maternal reproductive history. Our sample included 356 ASD cases, 627 DD cases, and 524 population (POP) controls born in second or later births. ASD and DD cases were further sub-divided according to whether the child had intellectual disability (ID). ASD cases were also sub-divided by ASD symptom severity, and DD cases were subdivided by presence of some ASD symptoms (indicated on an autism screener). Odds ratios, adjusted for maternal-child sociodemographic factors, (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals were derived from logistic regression models. Among term births, ASD was associated with both IPI <18 months (aOR 1.5 [1.1-2.2]) and ≥60 months (1.5 [0.99-2.4]). Both short and long IPI associations were stronger among ASD cases with high severity scores (aORs 2.0 [1.3-3.3] and 1.8 [0.99-3.2], respectively). Associations were unchanged after adding several factors potentially related to the causal pathway to regression models. DD was not associated with either short or long IPI-overall, among term births, or in any subgroup examined. These findings extend those from previous studies and further inform recommendations on optimal pregnancy spacing. Autism Res 2018, 11: 81-94. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY We investigated whether the amount of time between pregnancies was associated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental disabilities (DD) in children. ASD was increased in second and later-born children who were conceived less than 18 months or 60 or more months after the mother's previous birth. Other DDs were not associated with birth spacing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Schieve
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lin H Tian
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | | | | | - Craig Newschaffer
- Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Julie L Daniels
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Li-Ching Lee
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Lisa A Croen
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - M Danielle Fallin
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
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107
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Li K, Li L, Cui B, Gai Z, Li Q, Wang S, Yan J, Lin B, Tian L, Liu H, Liu X, Xi Z. Early Postnatal Exposure to Airborne Fine Particulate Matter Induces Autism-like Phenotypes in Male Rats. Toxicol Sci 2017; 162:189-199. [DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kang Li
- Department of Toxicology
- Department of Stress Medicine
| | | | - Bo Cui
- Department of Occupational Hygiene, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhihui Gai
- Department of Occupational Hygiene, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Tianjin, China
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108
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Thion MS, Garel S. On place and time: microglia in embryonic and perinatal brain development. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 47:121-130. [PMID: 29080445 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Microglia, the brain-resident macrophages, play key roles in regulating synapse density and homeostasis in the postnatal and adult brain. However, microglia enter the brain during embryogenesis and recent studies have revealed additional early functions of these immune cells in prenatal and perinatal cerebral development. Such findings are of importance since prenatal inflammation and microglia dysfunction have been associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders. This review provides a selective overview of the early roles of microglia, their link with a specific spatiotemporal distribution and how they can be modulated by intrinsic factors or environmental signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Sonia Thion
- Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Sonia Garel
- Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.
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109
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Kuhlen M, Taeubner J, Wieczorek D, Borkhardt A. Autism spectrum disorder and Li-Fraumeni syndrome: purely coincidental or mechanistically associated? Mol Cell Pediatr 2017; 4:8. [PMID: 28983852 PMCID: PMC5629188 DOI: 10.1186/s40348-017-0075-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders with impaired social interactions and communication and restrictive, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities. A recent epidemiological study suggests that children with ASD might have an increased cancer risk. Case presentation The 14.5-year-old boy, previously diagnosed with ASD, was referred with persistent bone pain. Diagnostic work-up confirmed diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); cytogenetic analysis revealed low hypodiploid karyotype with a mutation (c.733G>A, p.Gly245Ser, rs28934575) in TP53 in the leukemic blasts. By Sanger sequencing, the presence of this mutation in the germline was subsequently confirmed and, thus, diagnosis of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) was made. His family history was remarkable with two siblings with intellectual disability and a mother who has died of premenopausal breast cancer. Conclusions Some of the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes causing cancer susceptibility syndromes overlap with those involved in autism. This functional overlap between autism and cancer is novel and particularly compelling. The surprising coincidence of LFS and ASD in our patient raises the question whether this is purely coincidental or mechanistically associated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Kuhlen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, University Children's Hospital, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.
| | - Julia Taeubner
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, University Children's Hospital, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wieczorek
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, University Children's Hospital, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany
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110
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Siu MT, Weksberg R. Epigenetics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:63-90. [PMID: 28523541 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), is diagnosed in 1 of every 68 children. ASD is incredibly heterogeneous both clinically and aetiologically. The etiopathogenesis of ASD is known to be complex, including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors. Normal epigenetic marks modifiable by both genetics and environmental exposures can result in epigenetic alterations that disrupt the regulation of gene expression, negatively impacting biological pathways important for brain development. In this chapter we aim to summarize some of the important literature that supports a role for epigenetics in the underlying molecular mechanism of ASD. We provide evidence from work in genetics, from environmental exposures and finally from more recent studies aimed at directly determining ASD-specific epigenetic patterns, focusing mainly on DNA methylation (DNAm). Finally, we briefly discuss some of the implications of current research on potential epigenetic targets for therapeutics and novel avenues for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle T Siu
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rosanna Weksberg
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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111
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Varcin KJ, Alvares GA, Uljarević M, Whitehouse AJO. Prenatal maternal stress events and phenotypic outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:1866-1877. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kandice J. Varcin
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Gail A. Alvares
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC); Long Pocket Brisbane, Queensland Australia
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC); Long Pocket Brisbane, Queensland Australia
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University; Victoria Australia
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112
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders whose core features of impaired social communication and atypical repetitive behaviors and/or restrictions in range of interests emerge in toddlerhood and carry significant implications at successive stages of development. The ability to reliably identify most cases of the condition far earlier than the average age of diagnosis presents a novel opportunity for early intervention, but the availability of such an intervention is disparate across US communities, and its impact is imperfectly understood. New research may transform the clinical approach to these conditions in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Constantino
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8504, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Natasha Marrus
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8504, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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113
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Modabbernia A, Velthorst E, Reichenberg A. Environmental risk factors for autism: an evidence-based review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Mol Autism 2017; 8:13. [PMID: 28331572 PMCID: PMC5356236 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to recent evidence, up to 40-50% of variance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) liability might be determined by environmental factors. In the present paper, we conducted a review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of environmental risk factors for ASD. We assessed each review for quality of evidence and provided a brief overview of putative mechanisms of environmental risk factors for ASD. FINDINGS Current evidence suggests that several environmental factors including vaccination, maternal smoking, thimerosal exposure, and most likely assisted reproductive technologies are unrelated to risk of ASD. On the contrary, advanced parental age is associated with higher risk of ASD. Birth complications that are associated with trauma or ischemia and hypoxia have also shown strong links to ASD, whereas other pregnancy-related factors such as maternal obesity, maternal diabetes, and caesarian section have shown a less strong (but significant) association with risk of ASD. The reviews on nutritional elements have been inconclusive about the detrimental effects of deficiency in folic acid and omega 3, but vitamin D seems to be deficient in patients with ASD. The studies on toxic elements have been largely limited by their design, but there is enough evidence for the association between some heavy metals (most important inorganic mercury and lead) and ASD that warrants further investigation. Mechanisms of the association between environmental factors and ASD are debated but might include non-causative association (including confounding), gene-related effect, oxidative stress, inflammation, hypoxia/ischemia, endocrine disruption, neurotransmitter alterations, and interference with signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS Compared to genetic studies of ASD, studies of environmental risk factors are in their infancy and have significant methodological limitations. Future studies of ASD risk factors would benefit from a developmental psychopathology approach, prospective design, precise exposure measurement, reliable timing of exposure in relation to critical developmental periods and should take into account the dynamic interplay between gene and environment by using genetically informed designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Modabbernia
- Department of Psychiatry and Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eva Velthorst
- Department of Psychiatry and Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Abraham Reichenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Seaver Autism Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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114
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Lin HY, Tseng WYI, Lai MC, Chang YT, Gau SSF. Shared atypical brain anatomy and intrinsic functional architecture in male youth with autism spectrum disorder and their unaffected brothers. Psychol Med 2017; 47:639-654. [PMID: 27825394 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716002695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the search for definite genetic etiologies remains elusive. Delineating ASD endophenotypes can boost the statistical power to identify the genetic etiologies and pathophysiology of ASD. We aimed to test for endophenotypes of neuroanatomy and associated intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) via contrasting male youth with ASD, their unaffected brothers and typically developing (TD) males. METHOD The 94 participants (aged 9-19 years) - 20 male youth with ASD, 20 unaffected brothers and 54 TD males - received clinical assessments, and undertook structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Voxel-based morphometry was performed to obtain regional gray and white matter volumes. A seed-based approach, with seeds defined by the regions demonstrating atypical neuroanatomy shared by youth with ASD and unaffected brothers, was implemented to derive iFC. General linear models were used to compare brain structures and iFC among the three groups. Assessment of familiality was investigated by permutation tests for variance of the within-family pair difference. RESULTS We found that atypical gray matter volume in the mid-cingulate cortex was shared between male youth with ASD and their unaffected brothers as compared with TD males. Moreover, reduced iFC between the mid-cingulate cortex and the right inferior frontal gyrus, and increased iFC between the mid-cingulate cortex and bilateral middle occipital gyrus were the shared features of male ASD youth and unaffected brothers. CONCLUSIONS Atypical neuroanatomy and iFC surrounding the mid-cingulate cortex may be a potential endophenotypic marker for ASD in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- H-Y Lin
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - W-Y I Tseng
- Institute of Medical Devices and Imaging System,National Taiwan University College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - M-C Lai
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - Y-T Chang
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge,MA,USA
| | - S S-F Gau
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
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115
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Strati F, Cavalieri D, Albanese D, De Felice C, Donati C, Hayek J, Jousson O, Leoncini S, Renzi D, Calabrò A, De Filippo C. New evidences on the altered gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorders. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:24. [PMID: 28222761 PMCID: PMC5320696 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0242-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 564] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by social and behavioural impairments. In addition to neurological symptoms, ASD subjects frequently suffer from gastrointestinal abnormalities, thus implying a role of the gut microbiota in ASD gastrointestinal pathophysiology. RESULTS Here, we characterized the bacterial and fungal gut microbiota in a cohort of autistic individuals demonstrating the presence of an altered microbial community structure. A fraction of 90% of the autistic subjects were classified as severe ASDs. We found a significant increase in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in autistic subjects due to a reduction of the Bacteroidetes relative abundance. At the genus level, we observed a decrease in the relative abundance of Alistipes, Bilophila, Dialister, Parabacteroides, and Veillonella in the ASD cohort, while Collinsella, Corynebacterium, Dorea, and Lactobacillus were significantly increased. Constipation has been then associated with different bacterial patterns in autistic and neurotypical subjects, with constipated autistic individuals characterized by high levels of bacterial taxa belonging to Escherichia/Shigella and Clostridium cluster XVIII. We also observed that the relative abundance of the fungal genus Candida was more than double in the autistic than neurotypical subjects, yet due to a larger dispersion of values, this difference was only partially significant. CONCLUSIONS The finding that, besides the bacterial gut microbiota, also the gut mycobiota contributes to the alteration of the intestinal microbial community structure in ASDs opens the possibility for new potential intervention strategies aimed at the relief of gastrointestinal symptoms in ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Strati
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Davide Albanese
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
| | - Claudio De Felice
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudio Donati
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
| | - Joussef Hayek
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Umbria 2, Via D. Bramante 37, 05100, Terni, Italy
| | - Olivier Jousson
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Silvia Leoncini
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Daniela Renzi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 40, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Calabrò
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 40, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Carlotta De Filippo
- Institute of Agriculture Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Cheng N, Rho JM, Masino SA. Metabolic Dysfunction Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder and Potential Treatment Approaches. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:34. [PMID: 28270747 PMCID: PMC5318388 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in sociability and communication, and increased repetitive and/or restrictive behaviors. While the etio-pathogenesis of ASD is unknown, clinical manifestations are diverse and many possible genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. As such, it has been a great challenge to identify key neurobiological mechanisms and to develop effective treatments. Current therapies focus on co-morbid conditions (such as epileptic seizures and sleep disturbances) and there is no cure for the core symptoms. Recent studies have increasingly implicated mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. The fact that mitochondria are an integral part of diverse cellular functions and are susceptible to many insults could explain how a wide range of factors can contribute to a consistent behavioral phenotype in ASD. Meanwhile, the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD), used for nearly a century to treat medically intractable epilepsy, has been shown to enhance mitochondrial function through a multiplicity of mechanisms and affect additional molecular targets that may address symptoms and comorbidities of ASD. Here, we review the evidence for the use of metabolism-based therapies such as the KD in the treatment of ASD as well as emerging co-morbid models of epilepsy and autism. Future research directions aimed at validating such therapeutic approaches and identifying additional and novel mechanistic targets are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Cheng
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jong M. Rho
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Susan A. Masino
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Trinity CollegeHartford, CT, USA
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117
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Autism with intellectual disability is associated with increased levels of maternal cytokines and chemokines during gestation. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:273-279. [PMID: 27217154 PMCID: PMC5122473 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Immune abnormalities have been described in some individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as well as their family members. However, few studies have directly investigated the role of prenatal cytokine and chemokine profiles on neurodevelopmental outcomes in humans. In the current study, we characterized mid-gestational serum profiles of 22 cytokines and chemokines in mothers of children with ASD (N=415), developmental delay (DD) without ASD (N=188), and general population (GP) controls (N=428) using a bead-based multiplex technology. The ASD group was further divided into those with intellectual disabilities (developmental/cognitive and adaptive composite score<70) (ASD+ID, N=184) and those without (composite score⩾70) (ASD-noID, N=201). Levels of cytokines and chemokines were compared between groups using multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, birth country and weight, as well as infant gender, birth year and birth month. Mothers of children with ASD+ID had significantly elevated mid-gestational levels of numerous cytokines and chemokines, such as granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-6, compared with mothers of children with either ASD-noID, those with DD, or GP controls. Conversely, mothers of children with either ASD-noID or with DD had significantly lower levels of the chemokines IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 compared with mothers of GP controls. This observed immunologic distinction between mothers of children with ASD+ID from mothers of children with ASD-noID or DD suggests that the intellectual disability associated with ASD might be etiologically distinct from DD without ASD. These findings contribute to the ongoing efforts toward identification of early biological markers specific to subphenotypes of ASD.
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118
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A developmental neuroscience approach to the search for biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder. Curr Opin Neurol 2016; 29:123-9. [PMID: 26953849 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The delineation of biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) offers a promising approach to inform precision-medicine-based approaches to ASD diagnosis and treatment and to move toward a mechanistic description of the disorder. However, biomarkers with sufficient sensitivity or specificity for clinical application in ASD are yet to be realized. Here, we review recent evidence for early, low-level alterations in brain and behavior development that may offer promising avenues for biomarker development in ASD. RECENT FINDINGS Accumulating evidence suggests that signs associated with ASD may unfold in a manner that maps onto the hierarchical organization of brain development. Genetic and neuroimaging evidence points towards perturbations in brain development early in life, and emerging evidence indicates that sensorimotor development may be among the earliest emerging signs associated with ASD, preceding social and cognitive impairment. SUMMARY The search for biomarkers of risk, prediction and stratification in ASD may be advanced through a developmental neuroscience approach that looks outside of the core signs of ASD and considers the bottom-up nature of brain development alongside the dynamic nature of development over time. We provide examples of assays that could be incorporated in studies to target low-level circuits.
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119
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Wozniak RH, Leezenbaum NB, Northrup JB, West KL, Iverson JM. The development of autism spectrum disorders: variability and causal complexity. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 8. [PMID: 27906524 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The autism spectrum is highly variable, both behaviorally and neurodevelopmentally. Broadly speaking, four related factors contribute to this variability: (1) genetic processes, (2) environmental events, (3) gene × environment interactions, and (4) developmental factors. Given the complexity of the relevant processes, it appears unlikely that autism spectrum atypicalities can be attributed to any one causal mechanism. Rather, the development of neural atypicality reflects an interaction of genetic and environmental risk factors. As the individual grows, changes in neural atypicality, consequent variation in behavior, and environmental response to that behavior may become linked in a positive feedback loop that amplifies deviations from the typical developmental pattern. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1426. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1426 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Wozniak
- Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nina B Leezenbaum
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jessie B Northrup
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kelsey L West
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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120
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Zieminska E, Lenart J, Lazarewicz JW. Select putative neurodevelopmental toxins modify SNAP-25 expression in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells. Toxicology 2016; 370:86-93. [PMID: 27693314 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A presynaptic protein SNAP-25 belonging to SNARE complex which is instrumental in intracellular vesicular trafficking and exocytosis, has been implicated in hyperactivity and cognitive abilities in some neuropsychiatric disorders. The unclear etiology of the behavior disrupting neurodevelopmental disabilities in addition to genetic causes most likely involves environmental factors. The aim of this in vitro study was to test if various suspected developmental neurotoxins can alter SNAP-25 mRNA and protein expression in neurons. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses were used to assess SNAP-25 mRNA and protein levels in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). The test substances: tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), thimerosal (TH), silver nanoparticles (NAg), valproic acid (VPA) and thalidomide (THAL), were administered to CGC cultures at subtoxic concentrations for 24h. The results demonstrated that SNAP-25 mRNA levels were increased by 49 and 66% by TBBPA and THAL, respectively, whereas VPA and NAg reduced these levels to 48 and 64% of the control, respectively. The SNAP-25 protein content in CGCs was increased by 79% by TBBPA, 25% by THAL and 21% by NAg; VPA and TH reduced these levels to 73 and 69% of the control, respectively. The variety of changes in SNAP-25 expression on mRNA and protein level suggests the diversity of the mechanism of action of the test substances. This initial study provided no data on concentration-effect relations and on functional changes in CGCs. However it is the first to demonstrate the effect of different compounds that are suspected of causing neurodevelopmental disabilities on SNAP-25 expression. These results suggest that this protein may be a common target for not only inherited but also environmental modifications linked to behavioral deficits in neurodevelopmental disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Zieminska
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jacek Lenart
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jerzy W Lazarewicz
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
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121
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Ellenbroek BA, August C, Youn J. Does Prenatal Valproate Interact with a Genetic Reduction in the Serotonin Transporter? A Rat Study on Anxiety and Cognition. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:424. [PMID: 27708559 PMCID: PMC5030776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that prenatal exposure to valproate (or valproic acid, VPA) enhances the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In line with this, a single injection of VPA induces a multitude of ASD-like symptoms in animals, such as rats and mice. However, there is equally strong evidence that genetic factors contribute significantly to the risk of ASD and indeed, like most other psychiatric disorders, ASD is now generally thought to results from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Given that VPA significantly impacts on the serotonergic system, and serotonin has strong biochemical and genetic links to ASD, we aimed to investigate the interaction between genetic reduction in the serotonin transporter and prenatal valproate administration. More specifically, we exposed both wildtype (SERT+/+) rats and rats heterozygous for the serotonin transporter deletion (SERT+/-) to a single injection of 400 mg/kg VPA at gestational day (GD) 12. The offspring, in adulthood, was assessed in four different tests: Elevated Plus Maze and Novelty Suppressed Feeding as measures for anxiety and prepulse inhibition (PPI) and latent inhibition as measures for cognition and information processing. The results show that prenatal VPA significantly increased anxiety in both paradigm, reduced PPI and reduced conditioning in the latent inhibition paradigm. However, we failed to find a significant gene-environment interaction. We propose that this may be related to the timing of the VPA injection and suggest that whereas GD12 might be optimal for affecting normal rat, rats with a genetically compromised serotonergic system may be more sensitive to VPA at earlier time points during gestation. Overall our data are the first to investigate gene * environmental interactions in a genetic rat model for ASD and suggest that timing may be of crucial importance to the long-term outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart A Ellenbroek
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Caren August
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jiun Youn
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington, New Zealand
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122
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Lam J, Sutton P, Kalkbrenner A, Windham G, Halladay A, Koustas E, Lawler C, Davidson L, Daniels N, Newschaffer C, Woodruff T. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Multiple Airborne Pollutants and Autism Spectrum Disorder. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161851. [PMID: 27653281 PMCID: PMC5031428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to ambient air pollution is widespread and may be detrimental to human brain development and a potential risk factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We conducted a systematic review of the human evidence on the relationship between ASD and exposure to all airborne pollutants, including particulate matter air pollutants and others (e.g. pesticides and metals). OBJECTIVE To answer the question: "is developmental exposure to air pollution associated with ASD?" METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of the literature, identified relevant studies using inclusion/exclusion criteria pre-specified in our protocol (registered in PROSPERO, CRD # 42015017890), evaluated the potential risk of bias for each included study and identified an appropriate subset of studies to combine in a meta-analysis. We then rated the overall quality and strength of the evidence collectively across all air pollutants. RESULTS Of 1,158 total references identified, 23 human studies met our inclusion criteria (17 case-control, 4 ecological, 2 cohort). Risk of bias was generally low across studies for most domains; study limitations were related to potential confounding and accuracy of exposure assessment methods. We rated the quality of the body of evidence across all air pollutants as "moderate." From our meta-analysis, we found statistically significant summary odds ratios (ORs) of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.08) per 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10 exposure (n = 6 studies) and 2.32 (95% CI: 2.15, 2.51) per 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure (n = 3 studies). For pollutants not included in a meta-analysis, we collectively evaluated evidence from each study in rating the strength and quality of overall evidence considering factors such as inconsistency, imprecision, and evidence of dose-response. All included studies generally showed increased risk of ASD with increasing exposure to air pollution, although not consistently across all chemical components. CONCLUSION After considering strengths and limitations of the body of research, we concluded that there is "limited evidence of toxicity" for the association between early life exposure to air pollution as a whole and diagnosis of ASD. The strongest evidence was between prenatal exposure to particulate matter and ASD. However, the small number of studies in the meta-analysis and unexplained statistical heterogeneity across the individual study estimates means that the effect could be larger or smaller (including not significant) than these studies estimate. Our research supports the need for health protective public policy to reduce exposures to harmful airborne contaminants among pregnant women and children and suggests opportunities for optimizing future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juleen Lam
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Patrice Sutton
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Amy Kalkbrenner
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milkwaukee, WI, United States of America
| | - Gayle Windham
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, United States of America
| | - Alycia Halladay
- Autism Science Foundation, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Erica Koustas
- Scientific consultant to the University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Cindy Lawler
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Lisette Davidson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA, United States of America
| | - Natalyn Daniels
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Craig Newschaffer
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Tracey Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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Targeting anandamide metabolism rescues core and associated autistic-like symptoms in rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e902. [PMID: 27676443 PMCID: PMC5048215 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by altered sociability, compromised communication and stereotyped/repetitive behaviors, for which no specific treatments are currently available. Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is a known, although still underestimated, environmental risk factor for ASD. Altered endocannabinoid activity has been observed in autistic patients, and endocannabinoids are known to modulate behavioral traits that are typically affected in ASD. On this basis, we tested the hypothesis that changes in the endocannabinoid tone contribute to the altered phenotype induced by prenatal VPA exposure in rats, with focus on behavioral features that resemble the core and associated symptoms of ASD. In the course of development, VPA-exposed rats showed early deficits in social communication and discrimination, compromised sociability and social play behavior, stereotypies and increased anxiety, thus providing preclinical proof of the long-lasting deleterious effects induced by prenatal VPA exposure. At the neurochemical level, VPA-exposed rats displayed altered phosphorylation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in different brain areas, associated with changes in anandamide metabolism from infancy to adulthood. Interestingly, enhancing anandamide signaling through inhibition of its degradation rescued the behavioral deficits displayed by VPA-exposed rats at infancy, adolescence and adulthood. This study therefore shows that abnormalities in anandamide activity may underlie the deleterious impact of environmental risk factors on ASD-relevant behaviors and that the endocannabinoid system may represent a therapeutic target for the core and associated symptoms displayed by autistic patients.
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Cogill S, Wang L. Support vector machine model of developmental brain gene expression data for prioritization of Autism risk gene candidates. Bioinformatics 2016; 32:3611-3618. [PMID: 27506227 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btw498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with clinical heterogeneity and a substantial polygenic component. High-throughput methods for ASD risk gene identification produce numerous candidate genes that are time-consuming and expensive to validate. Prioritization methods can identify high-confidence candidates. Previous ASD gene prioritization methods have focused on a priori knowledge, which excludes genes with little functional annotation or no protein product such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). RESULTS We have developed a support vector machine (SVM) model, trained using brain developmental gene expression data, for the classification and prioritization of ASD risk genes. The selected feature model had a mean accuracy of 76.7%, mean specificity of 77.2% and mean sensitivity of 74.4%. Gene lists comprised of an ASD risk gene and adjacent genes were ranked using the model's decision function output. The known ASD risk genes were ranked on average in the 77.4th, 78.4th and 80.7th percentile for sets of 101, 201 and 401 genes respectively. Of 10,840 lncRNA genes, 63 were classified as ASD-associated candidates with a confidence greater than 0.95. Genes previously associated with brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders were prioritized highly within the lncRNA gene list. CONTACT liangjw@clemson.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Cogill
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - L Wang
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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Can biological components predict short-term evolution in Autism Spectrum Disorders? A proof-of-concept study. Ital J Pediatr 2016; 42:70. [PMID: 27448796 PMCID: PMC4957293 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-016-0281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The clinical and pathogenetic heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) limits our ability to predict its short- and long-term evolution. Aim of this naturalistic study was to observe the clinical evolution of very young children with ASD for 12 months after first diagnosis, in order to identify those children who might develop a more positive trajectory and understand how a wide range of biological, clinical and familial factors can influence prognosis. Methods Ninety-two children were characterized in terms of family history, prenatal and perinatal variables, and clinical conditions. The sample was divided into four subgroups based on the association of 22 biological, clinical and family history variables. Developmental Quotient (DQ), determined using the Psychoeducational Profile Revised (PEP-R), and symptoms severity, measured by means of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after one year (T1), while receiving treatment as usual. Changes in DQ and ADOS between baseline and follow-up and differences in the short-term evolution of the four subgroups were analyzed. Results At T1, 55.4 % of the children demonstrated some gains either of autistic symptomatology or of developmental skills. Mean ADOS score was 13.63 ± 3.67 at T0 and 10.85 ± 4.10 at T1 and mean DQ was 0.64 ± 0.14 at T0 and 0.66 ± 0.15 at T1. At follow-up, 33.7 % of the children showed an improvement in DQ and 37 % presented a less severe symptomatology, measured by means of ADOS. Overall, 15.2 % of the sample displayed major improvements both on developmental quotient and ADOS severity score; these children presented less EEG abnormalities and familial psychiatric disorders. The four subgroups, based on biological, clinical and familial variables, showed differing trends in terms of evolution. Conclusions Categorizing very young children with ASD in terms of biological, clinical and familial variables can be instrumental in predicting short-term evolution. This exploratory study highlights the importance of a precise characterization and thorough analysis of interactions among biological and clinical variables, in order to predict the developmental evolution in children with ASD.
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126
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Inability to activate Rac1-dependent forgetting contributes to behavioral inflexibility in mutants of multiple autism-risk genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7644-9. [PMID: 27335463 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1602152113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiology of autism is so complicated because it involves the effects of variants of several hundred risk genes along with the contribution of environmental factors. Therefore, it has been challenging to identify the causal paths that lead to the core autistic symptoms such as social deficit, repetitive behaviors, and behavioral inflexibility. As an alternative approach, extensive efforts have been devoted to identifying the convergence of the targets and functions of the autism-risk genes to facilitate mapping out causal paths. In this study, we used a reversal-learning task to measure behavioral flexibility in Drosophila and determined the effects of loss-of-function mutations in multiple autism-risk gene homologs in flies. Mutations of five autism-risk genes with diversified molecular functions all led to a similar phenotype of behavioral inflexibility indicated by impaired reversal-learning. These reversal-learning defects resulted from the inability to forget or rather, specifically, to activate Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1)-dependent forgetting. Thus, behavior-evoked activation of Rac1-dependent forgetting has a converging function for autism-risk genes.
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127
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DNA Damage and Repair in Schizophrenia and Autism: Implications for Cancer Comorbidity and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17060856. [PMID: 27258260 PMCID: PMC4926390 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are multi-factorial and multi-symptomatic psychiatric disorders, each affecting 0.5%-1% of the population worldwide. Both are characterized by impairments in cognitive functions, emotions and behaviour, and they undermine basic human processes of perception and judgment. Despite decades of extensive research, the aetiologies of schizophrenia and ASD are still poorly understood and remain a significant challenge to clinicians and scientists alike. Adding to this unsatisfactory situation, patients with schizophrenia or ASD often develop a variety of peripheral and systemic disturbances, one prominent example of which is cancer, which shows a direct (but sometimes inverse) comorbidity in people affected with schizophrenia and ASD. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of cells, the molecular origin of which derives from mutations of a cell's DNA sequence. To counteract such mutations and repair damaged DNA, cells are equipped with intricate DNA repair pathways. Oxidative stress, oxidative DNA damage, and deficient repair of oxidative DNA lesions repair have been proposed to contribute to the development of schizophrenia and ASD. In this article, we summarize the current evidence of cancer comorbidity in these brain disorders and discuss the putative roles of oxidative stress, DNA damage and DNA repair in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia and ASD.
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128
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Heffler KF, Oestreicher LM. Causation model of autism: Audiovisual brain specialization in infancy competes with social brain networks. Med Hypotheses 2016; 91:114-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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129
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Mandy W, Lai MC. Annual Research Review: The role of the environment in the developmental psychopathology of autism spectrum condition. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:271-92. [PMID: 26782158 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although autism spectrum condition (ASC) is strongly genetic in origin, accumulating evidence points to the critical roles of various environmental influences on its emergence and subsequent developmental course. METHODS A developmental psychopathology framework was used to synthesise literature on environmental factors associated with the onset and course of ASC (based on a systematic search of the literature using PubMed, PsychInfo and Google Scholar databases). Particular emphasis was placed on gene-environment interplay, including gene-environment interaction (G × E) and gene-environment correlation (rGE). RESULTS Before conception, advanced paternal and maternal ages may independently enhance offspring risk for ASC. Exogenous prenatal risks are evident (e.g. valproate and toxic chemicals) or possible (e.g. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), and processes endogenous to the materno-foeto-placental unit (e.g. maternal diabetes, enhanced steroidogenic activities and maternal immune activation) likely heighten offspring vulnerability to ASC. Folate intake is a prenatal protective factor, with a particular window of action around 4 weeks preconception and during the first trimester. These prenatal risks and protective mechanisms appear to involve G × E and potentially rGE. A variety of perinatal risks are related to offspring ASC risk, possibly reflecting rGE. Postnatal social factors (e.g. caregiver-infant interaction, severe early deprivation) during the first years of life may operate through rGE to influence the likelihood of manifesting a full ASC phenotype from a 'prodromal' phase (a proposal distinct to the discredited and harmful 'refrigerator mother hypothesis'); and later postnatal risks, after the full manifestation of ASC, shape life span development through transactions mediated by rGE. There is no evidence that vaccination is a postnatal risk for ASC. CONCLUSIONS Future investigations should consider the specificity of risks for ASC versus other atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories, timing of risk and protective mechanisms, animal model systems to study mechanisms underlying gene-environment interplay, large-sample genome-envirome designs to address G × E and longitudinal studies to elucidate how rGE plays out over time. Clinical and public health implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mandy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
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130
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Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: reconciling the syndrome, its diverse origins, and variation in expression. Lancet Neurol 2016; 15:279-91. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00151-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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131
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Casartelli L, Molteni M, Ronconi L. So close yet so far: Motor anomalies impacting on social functioning in autism spectrum disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 63:98-105. [PMID: 26855233 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Difficulties in the social domain and motor anomalies have been widely investigated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, they have been generally considered as independent, and therefore tackled separately. Recent advances in neuroscience have hypothesized that the cortical motor system can play a role not only as a controller of elementary physical features of movement, but also in a complex domain as social cognition. Here, going beyond previous studies on ASD that described difficulties in the motor and in the social domain separately, we focus on the impact of motor mechanisms anomalies on social functioning. We consider behavioral, electrophysiological and neuroimaging findings supporting the idea that motor cognition is a critical "intermediate phenotype" for ASD. Motor cognition anomalies in ASD affect the processes of extraction, codification and subsequent translation of "external" social information into the motor system. Intriguingly, this alternative "motor" approach to the social domain difficulties in ASD may be promising to bridge the gap between recent experimental findings and clinical practice, potentially leading to refined preventive approaches and successful treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Casartelli
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Bosisio Parini, Italy; Developmental Psychopathology Unit, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy.
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Bosisio Parini, Italy; Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy.
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132
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Full-field electroretinogram in autism spectrum disorder. Doc Ophthalmol 2016; 132:83-99. [DOI: 10.1007/s10633-016-9529-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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133
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Edmonson CA, Ziats MN, Rennert OM. A Non-inflammatory Role for Microglia in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurol 2016; 7:9. [PMID: 26869989 PMCID: PMC4734207 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2016.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, difficulties with language, and repetitive/restricted behaviors. The etiology of ASD is still largely unclear, but immune dysfunction and abnormalities in synaptogenesis have repeatedly been implicated as contributing to the disease phenotype. However, an understanding of how and if these two processes are related has not firmly been established. As non-inflammatory roles of microglia become increasingly recognized as critical to normal neurodevelopment, it is important to consider how dysfunction in these processes might explain the seemingly disparate findings of immune dysfunction and aberrant synaptogenesis seen in ASD. In this review, we highlight research demonstrating the importance of microglia to the development of normal neural networks, review recent studies demonstrating abnormal microglia in autism, and discuss how the relationship between these processes may contribute to the development of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Edmonson
- University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark N Ziats
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Owen M Rennert
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA
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134
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Park HR, Lee JM, Moon HE, Lee DS, Kim BN, Kim J, Kim DG, Paek SH. A Short Review on the Current Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Exp Neurobiol 2016; 25:1-13. [PMID: 26924928 PMCID: PMC4766109 DOI: 10.5607/en.2016.25.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a deficit in social behaviors and nonverbal interactions such as reduced eye contact, facial expression, and body gestures in the first 3 years of life. It is not a single disorder, and it is broadly considered to be a multi-factorial disorder resulting from genetic and non-genetic risk factors and their interaction. Genetic studies of ASD have identified mutations that interfere with typical neurodevelopment in utero through childhood. These complexes of genes have been involved in synaptogenesis and axon motility. Recent developments in neuroimaging studies have provided many important insights into the pathological changes that occur in the brain of patients with ASD in vivo. Especially, the role of amygdala, a major component of the limbic system and the affective loop of the cortico-striatothalamo-cortical circuit, in cognition and ASD has been proved in numerous neuropathological and neuroimaging studies. Besides the amygdala, the nucleus accumbens is also considered as the key structure which is related with the social reward response in ASD. Although educational and behavioral treatments have been the mainstay of the management of ASD, pharmacological and interventional treatments have also shown some benefit in subjects with ASD. Also, there have been reports about few patients who experienced improvement after deep brain stimulation, one of the interventional treatments. The key architecture of ASD development which could be a target for treatment is still an uncharted territory. Further work is needed to broaden the horizons on the understanding of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Ran Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Jae Meen Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Hyo Eun Moon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Dong Soo Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Jinhyun Kim
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Dong Gyu Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Sun Ha Paek
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
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135
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Al-Saleh I, Nester M, Abduljabbar M, Al-Rouqi R, Eltabache C, Al-Rajudi T, Elkhatib R. Mercury (Hg) exposure and its effects on Saudi breastfed infant's neurodevelopment. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2016; 219:129-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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136
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Risk factors in autism: Thinking outside the brain. J Autoimmun 2015; 67:1-7. [PMID: 26725748 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions that have been rising markedly in prevalence for the past 30 years, now thought to affect 1 in 68 in the United States. This has prompted the search for possible explanations, and has even resulted in some controversy regarding the "true" prevalence of autism. ASD are influenced by a variety of genetic, environmental, and possibly immunological factors that act during critical periods to alter key developmental processes. This can affect multiple systems and manifests as the social and behavioral deficits that define these disorders. The interaction of environmental exposures in the context of an individual's genetic susceptibilities manifests differently in each case, leading to heterogeneous phenotypes and varied comorbid symptoms within the disorder. This has also made it very difficult to elucidate underlying genes and exposure profiles, but progress is being made in this area. Some pharmaceutical drugs, toxicants, and metabolic and nutritional factors have been identified in epidemiological studies as increasing autism risk, especially during the prenatal period. Immunologic risk factors, including maternal infection during pregnancy, autoantibodies to fetal brain proteins, and familial autoimmune disease, have consistently been observed across multiple studies, as have immune abnormalities in individuals with ASD. Mechanistic research using animal models and patient-derived stem cells will help researchers to understand the complex etiology of these neurodevelopmental disorders, which will lead to more effective therapies and preventative strategies. Proposed therapies that need more investigation include special diets, probiotics, immune modulation, oxytocin, and personalized pharmacogenomic targets. The ongoing search for biomarkers and better treatments will result in earlier identification of ASD and provide much needed help and relief for afflicted families.
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137
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Bercum FM, Rodgers KM, Benison AM, Smith ZZ, Taylor J, Kornreich E, Grabenstatter HL, Dudek FE, Barth DS. Maternal Stress Combined with Terbutaline Leads to Comorbid Autistic-Like Behavior and Epilepsy in a Rat Model. J Neurosci 2015; 35:15894-902. [PMID: 26631470 PMCID: PMC6605448 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2803-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human autism is comorbid with epilepsy, yet, little is known about the causes or risk factors leading to this combined neurological syndrome. Although genetic predisposition can play a substantial role, our objective was to investigate whether maternal environmental factors alone could be sufficient. We examined the independent and combined effects of maternal stress and terbutaline (used to arrest preterm labor), autism risk factors in humans, on measures of both autistic-like behavior and epilepsy in Sprague-Dawley rats. Pregnant dams were exposed to mild stress (foot shocks at 1 week intervals) throughout pregnancy. Pups were injected with terbutaline on postnatal days 2-5. Either maternal stress or terbutaline resulted in autistic-like behaviors in offspring (stereotyped/repetitive behaviors and deficits in social interaction or communication), but neither resulted in epilepsy. However, their combination resulted in severe behavioral symptoms, as well as spontaneous recurrent convulsive seizures in 45% and epileptiform spikes in 100%, of the rats. Hippocampal gliosis (GFAP reactivity) was correlated with both abnormal behavior and spontaneous seizures. We conclude that prenatal insults alone can cause comorbid autism and epilepsy but it requires a combination of teratogens to achieve this; testing single teratogens independently and not examining combinatorial effects may fail to reveal key risk factors in humans. Moreover, astrogliosis may be common to both teratogens. This new animal model of combined autism and epilepsy permits the experimental investigation of both the cellular mechanisms and potential intervention strategies for this debilitating comorbid syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia M Bercum
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Krista M Rodgers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Alex M Benison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Zachariah Z Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Jeremy Taylor
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Elise Kornreich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - Heidi L Grabenstatter
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
| | - F Edward Dudek
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
| | - Daniel S Barth
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and
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138
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Huang H, Papaleo F. Genetic modulation of oxytocin's effects in social functioning. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2015; 3:348. [PMID: 26807403 PMCID: PMC4701519 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.09.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Huiping Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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139
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Son JS, Zheng LJ, Rowehl LM, Tian X, Zhang Y, Zhu W, Litcher-Kelly L, Gadow KD, Gathungu G, Robertson CE, Ir D, Frank DN, Li E. Comparison of Fecal Microbiota in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Neurotypical Siblings in the Simons Simplex Collection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137725. [PMID: 26427004 PMCID: PMC4591364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to assess potential associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype, functional GI disorders and fecal microbiota, we recruited simplex families, which had only a single ASD proband and neurotypical (NT) siblings, through the Simons Simplex Community at the Interactive Autism Network (SSC@IAN). Fecal samples and metadata related to functional GI disorders and diet were collected from ASD probands and NT siblings of ASD probands (age 7-14). Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) were assessed using the parent-completed ROME III questionnaire for pediatric FGIDs, and problem behaviors were assessed using the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL). Targeted quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were conducted on selected taxa implicated in ASD, including Sutterella spp., Bacteroidetes spp. and Prevotella spp. Illumina sequencing of the V1V2 and the V1V3 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes from fecal DNA was performed to an average depth of 208,000 and 107,000 high-quality reads respectively. Twenty-five of 59 ASD children and 13 of 44 NT siblings met ROME III criteria for at least one FGID. Functional constipation was more prevalent in ASD (17 of 59) compared to NT siblings (6 of 44, P = 0.035). The mean CBCL scores in NT siblings with FGID, ASD children with FGID and ASD without FGID were comparably higher (58-62 vs. 44, P < 0.0001) when compared to NT children without FGID. There was no significant difference in macronutrient intake between ASD and NT siblings. There was no significant difference in ASD severity scores between ASD children with and without FGID. No significant difference in diversity or overall microbial composition was detected between ASD children with NT siblings. Exploratory analysis of the 16S rRNA sequencing data, however, identified several low abundance taxa binned at the genus level that were associated with ASD and/or first order ASD*FGID interactions (FDR <0.1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S. Son
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Ling J. Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Leahana M. Rowehl
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Xinyu Tian
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Yuanhao Zhang
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Leighann Litcher-Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Kenneth D. Gadow
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Grace Gathungu
- Department of Pediatrics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Charles E. Robertson
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Diana Ir
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Daniel N. Frank
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Ellen Li
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
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140
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Wong CT, Wais J, Crawford DA. Prenatal exposure to common environmental factors affects brain lipids and increases risk of developing autism spectrum disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine T. Wong
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
- Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Joshua Wais
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Dorota A. Crawford
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
- Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
- Department of Biology; York University; Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3
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Gottfried C, Bambini-Junior V, Francis F, Riesgo R, Savino W. The Impact of Neuroimmune Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:121. [PMID: 26441683 PMCID: PMC4563148 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmem Gottfried
- 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
| | - Victorio Bambini-Junior
- 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
| | - Fiona Francis
- Sorbonne Université, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
- INSERM UMR-S 839, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris, France
| | - Rudimar Riesgo
- 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
| | - Wilson Savino
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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142
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Effect of ultrasounds on neurons and microglia: Cell viability and automatic analysis of cell morphology. Biomed Signal Process Control 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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143
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Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S, Buxbaum JD. Understanding autism in the light of sex/gender. Mol Autism 2015; 6:24. [PMID: 25973161 PMCID: PMC4429357 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B, Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ; CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, The Gatehouse, Fulbourn Hospital, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5EF UK ; Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, No.1 Jen-Ai Road Section 1, Taipei, 10051 Taiwan
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B, Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ; CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, The Gatehouse, Fulbourn Hospital, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5EF UK
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Friedman Brain Institute and Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029 USA
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144
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Geschwind DH, State MW. Gene hunting in autism spectrum disorder: on the path to precision medicine. Lancet Neurol 2015; 14:1109-20. [PMID: 25891009 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00044-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is typical of the majority of neuropsychiatric syndromes in that it is defined by signs and symptoms, rather than by aetiology. Not surprisingly, the causes of this complex human condition are manifold and include a substantial genetic component. Recent developments in gene-hunting technologies and methods, and the resulting plethora of genetic findings, promise to open new avenues to understanding of disease pathophysiology and to contribute to improved clinical management. Despite remarkable genetic heterogeneity, evidence is emerging for converging pathophysiology in autism spectrum disorder, but how this notion of convergent pathways will translate into therapeutics remains to be established. Leveraging genetic findings through advances in model systems and integrative genomic approaches could lead to the development of new classes of therapies and a personalised approach to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, and Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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145
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State MW, Geschwind DH. Leveraging genetics and genomics to define the causes of mental illness. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:3-5. [PMID: 25483342 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry and Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California..
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