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Lv S, He E, Luo J, Liu Y, Liang W, Xu S, Zhang K, Yang Y, Wang M, Song Y, Wu Y, Cai X. Using Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Neurons on Microelectrode Arrays to Model Neurological Disease: A Review. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301828. [PMID: 37863819 PMCID: PMC10667858 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
In situ physiological signals of in vitro neural disease models are essential for studying pathogenesis and drug screening. Currently, an increasing number of in vitro neural disease models are established using human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived neurons (hiPSC-DNs) to overcome interspecific gene expression differences. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) can be readily interfaced with two-dimensional (2D), and more recently, three-dimensional (3D) neural stem cell-derived in vitro models of the human brain to monitor their physiological activity in real time. Therefore, MEAs are emerging and useful tools to model neurological disorders and disease in vitro using human iPSCs. This is enabling a real-time window into neuronal signaling at the network scale from patient derived. This paper provides a comprehensive review of MEA's role in analyzing neural disease models established by hiPSC-DNs. It covers the significance of MEA fabrication, surface structure and modification schemes for hiPSC-DNs culturing and signal detection. Additionally, this review discusses advances in the development and use of MEA technology to study in vitro neural disease models, including epilepsy, autism spectrum developmental disorder (ASD), and others established using hiPSC-DNs. The paper also highlights the application of MEAs combined with hiPSC-DNs in detecting in vitro neurotoxic substances. Finally, the future development and outlook of multifunctional and integrated devices for in vitro medical diagnostics and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiya Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Enhui He
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
- The State Key Lab of Brain‐Machine IntelligenceZhejiang UniversityHangzhou321100China
| | - Jinping Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yaoyao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Wei Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Shihong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Kui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Mixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yilin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yirong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Xinxia Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer TechnologyAerospace Information Research InstituteChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
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de la Torre-Aguilar MJ, Gomez-Fernandez A, Flores-Rojas K, Martin-Borreguero P, Mesa MD, Perez-Navero JL, Olivares M, Gil A, Gil-Campos M. Docosahexaenoic and Eicosapentaenoic Intervention Modifies Plasma and Erythrocyte Omega-3 Fatty Acid Profiles But Not the Clinical Course of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Control Trial. Front Nutr 2022; 9:790250. [PMID: 35425788 PMCID: PMC9002234 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.790250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is under investigation and one of the main alterations relates to the metabolic and inflammatory system dysfunctions. Indeed, based on a possible deficit of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) of patients with ASD and looking for an anti-inflammatory effect, dietary supplements with omega-3 fatty acids have been proposed. We aimed to evaluate differences in plasma and erythrocyte FA profiles and plasma cytokines in patients with infantile ASD after supplementation with docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids or placebo and both compared at baseline with a reference healthy group.MethodsA double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled intervention with DHA/EPA for 6 months was carried out in 54 children between 2 and 6 years diagnosed with ASD. They were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: 19 children received 800 mg/day of DHA and 25 mg/day of EPA, or placebo. In addition, another reference group of 59 healthy children of the same age was included. Plasma lipids and cytokines, and FA profiles in plasma and erythrocytes were measured at baseline and after 6 months of treatment in ASD children, and at baseline in the reference group.ResultsThere were no differences in demographic, anthropometric characteristics, and omega-3 intake between the healthy reference group and the ASD children at baseline. Children with ASD showed the higher plasma percentages of palmitic acid and total saturated FA and lower total omega-6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) compared with healthy children. An increased level of DHA and reduced EPA level in erythrocytes were detected in the ASD group vs. the reference group. After 6 months of treatment, the ASD group that received DHA enriched product significantly increased the plasma and erythrocyte percentages of DHA, but no differences were observed in the clinical test scores and other parameters as plasma cytokines between the two groups of ASD related to the intervention.ConclusionSpanish children with ASD exhibit an appropriate omega-3 FA status in plasma and erythrocytes. Neither a clinical improvement of ASD children nor a better anti-inflammatory or fatty acid state has been found after an intervention with DHA/EPA for 6 months. So, the prescription of n-3 LC-PUFA and other dietary supplements in ASD should be only indicated after a confirmed alteration of FA metabolism or omega-3 LC-PUFA deficiency evaluated by specific erythrocyte FA.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT03620097].
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose de la Torre-Aguilar
- Pediatric Research and Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Antonio Gomez-Fernandez
- Pediatric Research and Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Katherine Flores-Rojas
- Pediatric Research and Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pilar Martin-Borreguero
- Department of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychiatry and Psychology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - María Dolores Mesa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II University of Granada, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria IBS.GRANADA, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José Mataix,” University of Granada, Parque Tecnológico de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Perez-Navero
- Pediatric Research and Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERER (Ciber Rare Diseases), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Juan Luis Perez-Navero, ,
| | | | - Angel Gil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II University of Granada, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria IBS.GRANADA, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José Mataix,” University of Granada, Parque Tecnológico de la Salud, Granada, Spain
- CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Gil-Campos
- Pediatric Research and Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
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Deficiency of nde1 in zebrafish induces brain inflammatory responses and autism-like behavior. iScience 2022; 25:103876. [PMID: 35243238 PMCID: PMC8861649 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytoskeletal protein NDE1 plays an important role in chromosome segregation, neural precursor differentiation, and neuronal migration. Clinical studies have shown that NDE1 deficiency is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders including autism. Here, we generated nde1 homologous deficiency zebrafish (nde1−/−) to elucidate the cellular molecular mechanisms behind it. nde1−/− exhibit increased neurological apoptotic responses at early infancy, enlarged ventricles, and shrank valvula cerebelli in adult brain tissue. Behavioral analysis revealed that nde1−/− displayed autism-like behavior traits such as increased locomotor activity and repetitive stereotype behaviors and impaired social and kin recognition behaviors. Furthermore, nde1 mRNA injection rescued apoptosis in early development, and minocycline treatment rescued impaired social behavior and overactive motor activity by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we revealed that nde1 homozygous deletion leads to abnormal neurological development with autism-related behavioral phenotypes and that inflammatory responses in the brain are an important molecular basis behind it. nde1−/− zebrafish display autism-like behavior features nde1 deficiency results in immune responses in the brain Minocycline treatment inhibits immune responses in the adult nde1−/− brain Minocycline rescued the impaired social behavior and locomotor activity
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Converging purinergic and immune signaling pathways drive IL-6 secretion by Fragile X cortical astrocytes via STAT3. J Neuroimmunol 2021; 361:577745. [PMID: 34695768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2021.577745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The symptoms of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are driven in part by abnormal glial-mediated function. FXS astrocytes release elevated levels of immune-related factors interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tenascin C (TNC), and also demonstrate increased purinergic signaling, a pathway linked to signaling factor release. Here, in cortical astrocytes from the Fmr1 knockout (KO) FXS mouse model, purinergic agonism enhanced TNC secretion and STAT3 phosphorylation, two processes linked to elevated IL-6 secretion in FXS, while STAT3 knockdown and TLR4 antagonism normalized Fmr1 KO IL-6 release. We therefore suggest that purinergic signaling and immune regulatory pathways converge to drive FXS cortical pro-inflammatory responses.
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Green MJ, Watkeys OJ, Whitten T, Thomas C, Kariuki M, Dean K, Laurens KR, Harris F, Carr VJ. Increased incidence of childhood mental disorders following exposure to early life infection. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 97:376-382. [PMID: 34390804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life exposure to infectious diseases confers risk for adult psychiatric disorders but relatively few human population studies have examined associations with childhood mental disorder. Here we examined the effects of exposure to maternal infection during pregnancy, and child infectious diseases in early childhood (birth to age 4 years), in relation to first mental disorder diagnosis (age 5-13 years). The study sample comprised 71,841 children represented in a population cohort of children in New South Wales, Australia, followed from birth to early adolescence via linkage of administrative registers. Childhood exposure to infectious disease was determined during the prenatal period (i.e., maternal infection during gestation), and in early childhood (between birth and age 4 years) using the NSW Ministry of Health Admitted Patients data collection. Days to first diagnosis with a mental disorder was determined from recorded diagnoses between age 5-13 years in the NSW Ministry of Health's Admitted Patients, Emergency Department and Mental Health Ambulatory data collections. While crude hazard ratios for both prenatal infection and childhood infection exposures indicated significantly earlier diagnosis with mental disorders associated with both of these risk factors, only childhood infection exposure was associated with higher adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for any diagnoses (aHR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.11-1.32), externalising disorders (aHR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.18-1.79) and developmental disorders (aHR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.49-2.22) when the effects of maternal and early childhood (age < 5 years) mental disorders were taken into account. Exposure to infectious diseases during early childhood, but not prenatal infection exposure, appears to be associated with earlier diagnosis of mental disorders in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Green
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Oliver J Watkeys
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tyson Whitten
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Catherine Thomas
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maina Kariuki
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kimberlie Dean
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristin R Laurens
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Psychology and Counselling, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Felicity Harris
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vaughan J Carr
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Bairwa SC, Shaw CA, Kuo M, Yoo J, Tomljenovic L, Eidi H. Cytokines profile in neonatal and adult wild-type mice post-injection of U. S. pediatric vaccination schedule. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 15:100267. [PMID: 34589773 PMCID: PMC8474652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction A recent study from our laboratory demonstrated a number of neurobehavioral abnormalities in mice colony injected with a mouse-weight equivalent dose of all vaccines that are administered to infants in their first 18 months of life according to the U. S. pediatric vaccination schedule. Cytokines have been studied extensively as blood immune and inflammatory biomarkers, and their association with neurodevelopmental disorders. Given the importance of cytokines in early neurodevelopment, we aimed to investigate the potential post-administration effects of the U. S. pediatric vaccines on circulatory cytokines in a mouse model. In the current study, cytokines have been assayed at early and late time points in mice vaccinated early in postnatal life and compared with placebo controls. Materials and methods Newborn mouse pups were divided into three groups: i) vaccine (V1), ii) vaccine × 3 (V3) and iii) placebo control. V1 group was injected with mouse weight-equivalent of the current U. S. pediatric vaccine schedule. V3 group was injected with same vaccines but at triple the dose and the placebo control was injected with saline. Pups were also divided according to the sampling age into two main groups: acute- and chronic-phase group. Blood samples were collected at postnatal day (PND) 23, two days following vaccine schedule for the acute-phase group or at 67 weeks post-vaccination for the chronic-phase groups. Fifteen cytokines were analyzed: GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-17A, MCP-1, TNF-α, and VEGF-A. Wilcoxon Rank Sum test or unpaired Student's t-test was performed where applicable. Results IL-5 levels in plasma were significantly elevated in the V1 and V3 group compared with the control only in the acute-phase group. The elevation of IL-5 levels in the two vaccine groups were significant irrespective of whether the sexes were combined or analyzed separately. Other cytokines (VEGF-A, TNF-α, IL-10, MCP-1, GM-CSF, IL-6, and IL-13) were also impacted, although to a lesser extent and in a sex-dependent manner. In the acute-phase group, females showed a significant increase in IL-10 and MCP-1 levels and a decrease in VEGF-A levels in both V1 and V3 group compared to controls. In the acute-phase, a significant increase in MCP-1 levels in V3 group and CM-CSF levels in V1 and V3 group and decrease in TNF-α levels in V1 group were observed in treated males as compared with controls. In chronic-phase females, levels of VEGF-A in V1 and V3 group, TNF-α in V3 group, and IL-13 in V1 group were significantly decreased in contrast with controls. In chronic-phase males, TNF-α levels were significantly increased in V1 group and IL-6 levels decreased in V3 group in comparison to controls. The changes in levels of most tested cytokines were altered between the early and the late postnatal assays. Conclusions IL-5 levels significantly increased in the acute-phase of the treatment in the plasma of both sexes that were subjected to V1 and V3 injections. These increases had diminished by the second test assayed at week 67. These results suggest that a profound, albeit transient, effect on cytokine levels may be induced by the whole vaccine administration supporting our recently published observations regarding the behavioral abnormalities in the same mice. These observations support the view that the administration of whole pediatric vaccines in a neonatal period may impact at least short-term CNS functions in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Bairwa
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C A Shaw
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Program in Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M Kuo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Yoo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - L Tomljenovic
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - H Eidi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV) - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), Fougères, France
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Žigman T, Petković Ramadža D, Šimić G, Barić I. Inborn Errors of Metabolism Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Approaches to Intervention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:673600. [PMID: 34121999 PMCID: PMC8193223 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.673600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be associated with inborn errors of metabolism, such as disorders of amino acid metabolism and transport [phenylketonuria, homocystinuria, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase deficiency, branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase deficiency, urea cycle disorders (UCD), Hartnup disease], organic acidurias (propionic aciduria, L-2 hydroxyglutaric aciduria), cholesterol biosynthesis defects (Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome), mitochondrial disorders (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes-MELAS syndrome), neurotransmitter disorders (succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency), disorders of purine metabolism [adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) deficiency, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome], cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes (CCDSs), disorders of folate transport and metabolism (cerebral folate deficiency, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency), lysosomal storage disorders [Sanfilippo syndrome, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL), Niemann-Pick disease type C], cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX), disorders of copper metabolism (Wilson disease), disorders of haem biosynthesis [acute intermittent porphyria (AIP)] and brain iron accumulation diseases. In this review, we briefly describe etiology, clinical presentation, and therapeutic principles, if they exist, for these conditions. Additionally, we suggest the primary and elective laboratory work-up for their successful early diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Žigman
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Danijela Petković Ramadža
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivo Barić
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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Baranova J, Dragunas G, Botellho MCS, Ayub ALP, Bueno-Alves R, Alencar RR, Papaiz DD, Sogayar MC, Ulrich H, Correa RG. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Signaling Pathways and Prospective Therapeutic Targets. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:619-649. [PMID: 32468442 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) consists of a prevalent and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases representing a severe burden to affected individuals and their caretakers. Despite substantial improvement towards understanding of ASD etiology and pathogenesis, as well as increased social awareness and more intensive research, no effective drugs have been successfully developed to resolve the main and most cumbersome ASD symptoms. Hence, finding better treatments, which may act as "disease-modifying" agents, and novel biomarkers for earlier ASD diagnosis and disease stage determination are needed. Diverse mutations of core components and consequent malfunctions of several cell signaling pathways have already been found in ASD by a series of experimental platforms, including genetic associations analyses and studies utilizing pre-clinical animal models and patient samples. These signaling cascades govern a broad range of neurological features such as neuronal development, neurotransmission, metabolism, and homeostasis, as well as immune regulation and inflammation. Here, we review the current knowledge on signaling pathways which are commonly disrupted in ASD and autism-related conditions. As such, we further propose ways to translate these findings into the development of genetic and biochemical clinical tests for early autism detection. Moreover, we highlight some putative druggable targets along these pathways, which, upon further research efforts, may evolve into novel therapeutic interventions for certain ASD conditions. Lastly, we also refer to the crosstalk among these major signaling cascades as well as their putative implications in therapeutics. Based on this collective information, we believe that a timely and accurate modulation of these prominent pathways may shape the neurodevelopment and neuro-immune regulation of homeostatic patterns and, hopefully, rescue some (if not all) ASD phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Baranova
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Dragunas
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 1524, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Mayara C S Botellho
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ana Luisa P Ayub
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Pedro de Toledo 669, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Bueno-Alves
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Rebeca R Alencar
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Debora D Papaiz
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Pedro de Toledo 669, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mari C Sogayar
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
- Cell and Molecular Therapy Center, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Pangaré 100 (Edifício NUCEL), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05360-130, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ricardo G Correa
- NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) and Cerebral Organoids for Drug Screening and Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Opportunities and Challenges. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13020280. [PMID: 33669772 PMCID: PMC7922555 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13020280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a group of neurodevelopmental diseases characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, interaction, and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities. The etiopathogenesis is multifactorial with complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The clinical heterogeneity and complex etiology of this pediatric disorder have limited the development of pharmacological therapies. The major limit to ASD research remains a lack of relevant human disease models which can faithfully recapitulate key features of the human pathology and represent its genetic heterogeneity. Recent advances in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), reprogrammed from somatic cells of patients into all types of patient-specific neural cells, have provided a promising cellular tool for disease modeling and development of novel drug treatments. The iPSCs technology allowed not only a better investigation of the disease etiopathogenesis but also opened up the potential for personalized therapies and offered new opportunities for drug discovery, pharmacological screening, and toxicity assessment. Moreover, iPSCs can be differentiated and organized into three-dimensional (3D) organoids, providing a model which mimics the complexity of the brain’s architecture and more accurately recapitulates tissue- and organ-level disease pathophysiology. The aims of this review were to describe the current state of the art of the use of human patient-derived iPSCs and brain organoids in modeling ASD and developing novel therapeutic strategies and to discuss the opportunities and major challenges in this rapidly moving field.
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Patak J, Faraone SV, Zhang-James Y. Sodium hydrogen exchanger 9 NHE9 (SLC9A9) and its emerging roles in neuropsychiatric comorbidity. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2020; 183:289-305. [PMID: 32400953 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Variations in SLC9A9 gene expression and protein function are associated with multiple human diseases, which range from Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to glioblastoma multiforme. In an effort to determine the full spectrum of human disease associations with SLC9A9, we performed a systematic review of the literature. We also review SLC9A9's biochemistry, protein structure, and function, as well as its interacting partners with the goal of identifying mechanisms of disease and druggable targets. We report gaps in the literature regarding the genes function along with consistent trends in disease associations that can be used to further research into treating the respective diseases. We report that SLC9A9 has strong associations with neuropsychiatric diseases and various cancers. Interestingly, we find strong overlap in SLC9A9 disease associations and propose a novel role for SLC9A9 in neuropsychiatric comorbidity. In conclusion, SLC9A9 is a multifunctional protein that, through both its endosome regulatory function and its protein-protein interaction network, has the ability to modulate signaling axes, such as the PI3K pathway, among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameson Patak
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA.,College of Medicine, MD Program, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Yanli Zhang-James
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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11
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Ayaydın H, Kirmit A, Çelik H, Akaltun İ, Koyuncu İ, Bilgen Ulgar Ş. High Serum Levels of Serum 100 Beta Protein, Neuron-specific Enolase, Tau, Active Caspase-3, M30 and M65 in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 18:270-278. [PMID: 32329316 PMCID: PMC7242104 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2020.18.2.270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate whether neuronal, axonal, and glial cell markers (Neuron-specific enolase [NSE], tau, serum 100 beta protein [S100B], respectively) and apoptosis markers (active caspase 3, M30, M65) and whether these parameters can be used as diagnostic biomarkers in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Methods This study measured the serum S100B, NSE, tau, active caspase 3, M30, and M65 levels in 43 patients with ASD (aged 3−12 years) and in 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. ASD severity was rated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The serum levels were determined in the biochemistry laboratory using the ELISA technique. The receiver operator characteristics curve method was employed to evaluate the accuracy of the parameters in diagnosing ASD. Results Serum S100B, tau, NSE, active caspase-3, M30, and M65 levels were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.002, p = 0.005, p < 0.001, and p = 0.004, respectively). The cut-off value of S100B was 48.085 pg/ml (sensitivity: 74.4%, specificity: 80.5%, areas under the curve: 0.879, p < 0.001). Conclusion Apoptosis increased in children with ASD, and neuronal, axonal, and glial cell injury was observed. In addition, S100B may be an important diagnostic biomarker in patients with ASD. Apoptosis, and neuronal, axonal and astrocyte pathologies may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of ASD, and further studies are now required to confirm this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Ayaydın
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Adnan Kirmit
- Departments of Biochemistry, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Hakim Çelik
- Departments of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - İsmail Akaltun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - İsmail Koyuncu
- Departments of Biochemistry, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Şermin Bilgen Ulgar
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
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12
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Differential regulation of Nrf2 is linked to elevated inflammation and nitrative stress in monocytes of children with autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 113:104554. [PMID: 31884317 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a very complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social and communication skills. Innate immune cells like monocytes are believed to play a cardinal role in neuroimmune inflammation and nitrative stress. On the other hand, Nrf2, a basic leucine zipper transcription factor plays a significant role in protecting the immune cells against inflammation and oxidants. However, its role in monocytes of ASD children and typically developing control (TDC) children has not been elucidated in relation with inflammation and nitrative stress. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate Nrf2 expression/activity along with parameters of inflammation (NFkB, IL-6, IL-1β) and nitrative stress (iNOS, nitrotyrosine) in monocytes of ASD/TDC children. Further, sulforaphane (SFN) was utilized as an Nrf2 activator to assess its effect on above said inflammatory and nitrative stress parameters. Our study shows that monocytes of ASD subjects have decreased Nrf2 expression/activity along with increased inflammation and nitrative stress. Further, monocytes from ASD have deficiency in induction of Nrf2 activity upon stimulation with LPS. However, activation of Nrf2 in vitro by SFN reverses LPS-induced effects on inflammation in monocytes by reduction in NFkB signaling. Further, treatment with SFN also reverses LPS-induced effects on nitrative stress (iNOS, nitrotyrosine) in monocytes of ASD subjects. This study propounds the idea that SFN protects against nitrative stress and inflammation by downregulating oxidative stress and inflammation through blockade of NFkB signaling in autistic children. This may be the reason behind reported ameliorative effects of SFN in ASD subjects.
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13
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Rose DR, Yang H, Careaga M, Angkustsiri K, Van de Water J, Ashwood P. T cell populations in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-morbid gastrointestinal symptoms. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 2:100042. [PMID: 34589832 PMCID: PMC8474588 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with ASD are more likely to experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms than typically-developed children. Numerous studies have reported immune abnormalities and inflammatory profiles in the majority of individuals with ASD. Immune dysfunction is often hypothesized as a driving factor in many GI diseases and it has been suggested that it is more apparent in children with ASD that exhibit GI symptoms. In this study we sought to characterize peripheral T cell subsets in children with and without GI symptoms, compared to healthy typically-developing children. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from participants, who were categorized into three groups: children with ASD who experience GI symptoms (n = 14), children with ASD who do not experience GI symptoms (n = 10) and typically-developing children who do not experience GI symptoms (n = 15). In order to be included in the GI group, GI symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and/or pain while defecating, had to be present in the child regularly for the past 6 months; likewise, in order to be placed in the no GI groups, bowel movements could not include the above symptoms present throughout development. Cells were assessed for surface markers and intracellular cytokines to identify T cell populations. Children with ASD and GI symptoms displayed elevated TH17 populations (0.757% ± 0.313% compared to 0.297% ± 0.197), while children with ASD who did not experience GI symptoms showed increased frequency of TH2 populations (2.02% ± 1.08% compared to 1.01% ± 0.58%). Both ASD groups showed evidence of reduced gut homing regulatory T cell populations compared to typically developing children (ASDGI:1.93% ± 0.75% and ASDNoGI:1.85% ± 0.89 compared to 2.93% ± 1.16%). Children with ASD may have deficits in immune regulation that lead to differential inflammatory T cell subsets that could be linked to associated co-morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Destanie R. Rose
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Houa Yang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Milo Careaga
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kathy Angkustsiri
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis, CA, USA
- Children’s Center for Environmental Health, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Judy Van de Water
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Children’s Center for Environmental Health, University of California Davis, CA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Paul Ashwood
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, CA, USA
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14
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Chidambaram SB, Bhat A, Mahalakshmi AM, Ray B, Tuladhar S, Sushmitha BS, Saravanan B, Thamilarasan M, Thenmozhi AJ, Essa MM, Guillemin GJ, Qoronfleh MW. Protein Nutrition in Autism. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 24:573-586. [PMID: 32006374 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a "developmental disorder" because symptoms generally appear in the first 2 years of life. The primary cause of autism is still not clear and therapy is currently restricted to controlling behavioral abnormalities. However, emerging studies have shown a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and autism. Dietary supplements that promote mitochondrial biogenesis and inhibit the production of oxidative stress have been used to treat autism patients. Dietary adjustments in treating autism is a novel approach to suppress autistic symptoms. Supplementation with antioxidants has been found to not only inhibit cognitive decline but also improve behavioral symptoms in autism. Dietary supplements fortified with vitamins should only be given under the supervision of a physician. A wide range of nutraceuticals are under clinical trials to understand whether they physiologically target mitochondrial pathways and improve the quality of life in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India. .,Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India.
| | - Abid Bhat
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India.,Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Bipul Ray
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India.,Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India
| | - Sunanda Tuladhar
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India.,Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India
| | - B S Sushmitha
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India
| | - B Saravanan
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, India
| | - Manivasagam Thamilarasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.,Ageing and Dementia Research Group, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Walid Qoronfleh
- Research & Policy Department, World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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15
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Tsafaras GP, Ntontsi P, Xanthou G. Advantages and Limitations of the Neonatal Immune System. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:5. [PMID: 32047730 PMCID: PMC6997472 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During early post-natal life, neonates must adjust to the transition from the sheltered intra-uterine environment to the microbe-laden external world, wherein they encounter a constellation of antigens and the colonization by the microbiome. At this vulnerable stage, neonatal immune responses are considered immature and present significant differences to those of adults. Pertinent to innate immunity, functional and quantitative deficiencies in antigen-presenting cells and phagocytes are often documented. Exposure to environmental antigens and microbial colonization is associated with epigenetic immune cell reprogramming and activation of effector and regulatory mechanisms that ensure age-depended immune system maturation and prevention of tissue damage. Moreover, neonatal innate immune memory has emerged as a critical mechanism providing protection against infectious agents. Still, in neonates, inexperience to antigenic exposure, along with enhancement of tissue-protective immunosuppressive mechanisms are often associated with severe immunopathological conditions, including sepsis and neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite significant advances in the field, adequate vaccination in newborns is still in its infancy due to elemental restrictions associated also with defective immune responses. In this review, we provide an overview of neonatal innate immune cells, highlighting phenotypic and functional disparities with their adult counterparts. We also discuss the effects of epigenetic modifications and microbial colonization on the regulation of neonatal immunity. A recent update on mechanisms underlying dysregulated neonatal innate immunity and linked infectious and neurodevelopmental diseases is provided. Understanding of the mechanisms that augment innate immune responsiveness in neonates may facilitate the development of improved vaccination protocols that can protect against pathogens and organ damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- George P Tsafaras
- Cellular Immunology Lab, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Polyxeni Ntontsi
- Second Respiratory Medicine Department, 'Attikon' University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgina Xanthou
- Cellular Immunology Lab, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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16
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Niemeyer C, Matosin N, Kaul D, Philipsen A, Gassen NC. The Role of Cathepsins in Memory Functions and the Pathophysiology of Psychiatric Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:718. [PMID: 32793006 PMCID: PMC7393989 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathepsins are proteases with functions in cellular homeostasis, lysosomal degradation and autophagy. Their role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases has been extensively studied. It is well established that impairment of proper cathepsin function plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, and in recent years a role for cathepsins in mental disorders has emerged given the involvement of cathepsins in memory function, hyperactivity, and in depression- and anxiety-like behavior. Here we review putative cathepsin functions with a special focus on their role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases. Specifically, cathepsins are crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, particularly as part of the autophagy machinery of neural strategies underlying acute stress response. Disruption of cathepsin functions can lead to psychiatric diseases such as major depressive disease (MDD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Specifically, cathepsins can be excreted via a process called secretory autophagy. Thereby, they are able to regulate extracellular factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and perlecan c-terminal fragment LG3 providing maintenance of neuronal homeostasis and mediating neuronal plasticity in response to acute stress or trauma. In addition, impairment of proper cathepsin function can result in impaired synaptic transmission by compromised recycling and biogenesis of synaptic vesicles. Taken together, further investigations on cathepsin functions and stress response, neuroplasticity, and synaptic transmission will be of great interest in understanding the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Niemeyer
- Neurohomeostasis Research Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Natalie Matosin
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominic Kaul
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Neurohomeostasis Research Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nils C Gassen
- Neurohomeostasis Research Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Kordulewska NK, Kostyra E, Piskorz-Ogórek K, Moszyńska M, Cieślińska A, Fiedorowicz E, Jarmołowska B. Serum cytokine levels in children with spectrum autism disorder: Differences in pro- and anti-inflammatory balance. J Neuroimmunol 2019; 337:577066. [PMID: 31629288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2019.577066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is a developmental and neurological disorder that affects all aspects of social communication, with limited and stereotypical interest, and atypical responses to sensory stimuli. Diagnosis of ASD is currently phenotype based with no reliable laboratory test available to assist clinicians. Researches have shown that individuals with autism often exhibit dysfunction of cytokines. METHODS A total of 42 patients with ASD and 20 matched controls participants were recruited for the study. Diagnosis was conducted by medical specialists and based on the International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders - ICD-10, DSM-5 and CARS sore. Whole blood samples were collected and serum IL's and chemokin levels were made using ELISA kits. RESULTS Results demonstrated that in comparison to the controls, the individuals with autism showed significantly higher concentration of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-13. We also demonstrated significant correlations between the levels of cytokines which implies the presence of an interactive network between them. The results of ROC analysis indicated the 4-factors (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-13) could be potential biomarkers in diagnosis of ASD. CONCLUSIONS In this study, serum levels of cytokine differed among children with ASD. However, the findings of this support the possibility of using an appropriate selection of serum cytokine for the diagnosis ASD and emphasize the need to standardize quantitative methods for serum analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Karolina Kordulewska
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Kostyra
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | | | - Małgorzata Moszyńska
- Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Therapy of Autism at the Regional Children's Hospital in Olsztyn, Zolnierska 18 A Street, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Anna Cieślińska
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Ewa Fiedorowicz
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Beata Jarmołowska
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
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18
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Assessment of Apoptosis Pathway in Peripheral Blood of Autistic Patients. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 69:588-596. [PMID: 31363911 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01387-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a number of severe neurodevelopmental disorders known by defects in social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal interactions, and stereotypic activities and limited interests. Dysregulation of apoptotic pathways have been demonstrated in brain tissues of affected individuals. In the present study, we evaluated expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and miRNAs in peripheral blood of ASD patients compared with healthy subjects. Transcript levels of BCL2, CASP8, and hsa-29c-3p were significantly lower in total ASD patients compared with total normal children (P values = 0.003, 0.002, and 0.01 respectively). When sex of study participants was considered in the analysis, the difference in transcript levels of these genes was significant only in male subjects. Peripheral expression of BCL2 and hsa-29c-3p had 100% sensitivity 92% specificity in ASD diagnosis. The diagnostic power of combination of transcript levels of these genes was estimated to be 78% based on the calculated AUC value. The present study provides evidences for dysregulation of apoptotic pathways in peripheral blood of ASD patients and suggests certain apoptosis-related genes as biomarkers in this regard.
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19
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Saghazadeh A, Ataeinia B, Keynejad K, Abdolalizadeh A, Hirbod-Mobarakeh A, Rezaei N. A meta-analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines in autism spectrum disorders: Effects of age, gender, and latitude. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 115:90-102. [PMID: 31125917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occur in 1.5% of the general population worldwide. Studies suggest that ASD might have more costs than diabetes and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder by 2025. Dysregulation of the cytokine system is well-documented in ASD. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies providing data on circulating concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in people with ASD compared with control subjects without ASD. METHODS We identified potentially eligible studies by systematically searching electronic databases from inception to February 2018. RESULTS Thirty-eight studies with total of 2487 participants (1393 patients with ASD and 1094 control subjects) were included in the meta-analysis; 13 for interferon (IFN)-γ, 17 for interleukin (IL)-1β, 22 for IL-6, 19 for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, 4 for IL-1α, 6 for IL-2, 4 for IL-7, 8 for IL-8, 14 for IL-12, 3 for IL-15, 12 for IL-17, 3 for IL-18, 3 for IL-2 receptor, 3 for TNF-β, and 3 for IL-23. We found medium increases in levels of plasma IFN-γ (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.53) and serum IL-1β (SMD = 0.56) and small increases in levels of blood IL-1β (SMD = 0.35), serum IL-6 (SMD = 0.30) and serum TNF-α (SMD = 0.31) for patients with ASD. Meta-regression analyses identified latitude as a negative moderator of the effect size (ES) of difference in mean levels of IFN-γ (R2 = 0.26) and TNF-α (R2 = 0.74). Also, difference in the mean age between patients and controls had a negative interaction with the ES of difference in mean levels of IL-1β. In contrast, there was a positive effect of the moderator of difference in the proportion of male subjects between patients and controls on the ES of difference in mean levels of IL-1β. We found no significant alterations in peripheral levels of other pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1α, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-3, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, IL-23, TBF-β, and TNFRI/II in patients with ASD. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis provides evidence for higher concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in autistic patents compared with control subjects. Also, meta-regression analyses point to the interaction of latitude, age, and gender with peripheral alterations of associated pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amene Saghazadeh
- aResearch Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; MetaCognition Interest Group (MCIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahar Ataeinia
- aResearch Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran; Border of Immune Tolerance Education and Research Network (BITERN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Keynejad
- Border of Immune Tolerance Education and Research Network (BITERN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhussein Abdolalizadeh
- Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran; MS Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Armin Hirbod-Mobarakeh
- aResearch Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Border of Immune Tolerance Education and Research Network (BITERN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran; Molecular Immunology Research Center, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- aResearch Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Molecular Immunology Research Center, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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al-Haddad BJS, Jacobsson B, Chabra S, Modzelewska D, Olson EM, Bernier R, Enquobahrie DA, Hagberg H, Östling S, Rajagopal L, Adams Waldorf KM, Sengpiel V. Long-term Risk of Neuropsychiatric Disease After Exposure to Infection In Utero. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:594-602. [PMID: 30840048 PMCID: PMC6551852 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The developmental origins of mental illness are incompletely understood. Although the development of autism and schizophrenia are linked to infections during fetal life, it is unknown whether more common psychiatric conditions such as depression might begin in utero. OBJECTIVE To estimate the risk of psychopathologic conditions imparted from fetal exposure to any maternal infection while hospitalized during pregnancy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 1 791 520 Swedish children born between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 2014, were observed for up to 41 years using linked population-based registries. Children were excluded if they were born too late to contribute person-time, died before being at risk for the outcome, or were missing particular model data. Infection and psychiatric diagnoses were derived using codes from hospitalizations. Directed acyclic graphs were developed from a systematic literature review to determine Cox proportional hazards regression models for risk of psychopathologic conditions in the children. Results were evaluated using probabilistic and simple bias analyses. Statistical analysis was conducted from February 10 to October 17, 2018. EXPOSURES Hospitalization during pregnancy with any maternal infection, severe maternal infection, and urinary tract infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Inpatient diagnosis of autism, depression, bipolar disorder, or psychosis among offspring. RESULTS A total of 1 791 520 Swedish-born children (48.6% females and 51.4% males) were observed from birth up to age 41 years, with a total of 32 125 813 person-years. Within the directed acyclic graph framework of assumptions, fetal exposure to any maternal infection increased the risk of an inpatient diagnosis in the child of autism (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% CI, 1.34-2.40) or depression (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08-1.42). Effect estimates for autism and depression were similar following a severe maternal infection (autism: HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.18-2.78; depression: HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.88-1.73) or urinary tract infection (autism: HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.23-2.90; depression: HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04-1.61) and were robust to moderate unknown confounding. Within the directed acyclic graph framework of assumptions, the relationship between infection and depression was vulnerable to bias from loss to follow-up, but separate data from the Swedish Death Registry demonstrated increased risk of suicide among individuals exposed to pregnancy infection. No evidence was found for increased risk of bipolar disorder or psychosis among children exposed to infection in utero. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that fetal exposure to a maternal infection while hospitalized increased the risk for autism and depression, but not bipolar or psychosis, during the child's life. These results emphasize the importance of avoiding infections during pregnancy, which may impart subtle fetal brain injuries contributing to development of autism and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bo Jacobsson
- Centre for Perinatal Medicine & Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,Division of Health Data and Digitalisation, Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shilpi Chabra
- Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Dominika Modzelewska
- Centre for Perinatal Medicine & Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erin M. Olson
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle,Department of School Psychology, College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Daniel A. Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Henrik Hagberg
- Centre for Perinatal Medicine & Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,Centre for the Developing Brain, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Svante Östling
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lakshmi Rajagopal
- Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle,Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Kristina M. Adams Waldorf
- Centre for Perinatal Medicine & Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Verena Sengpiel
- Centre for Perinatal Medicine & Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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21
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Russo FB, Brito A, de Freitas AM, Castanha A, de Freitas BC, Beltrão-Braga PCB. The use of iPSC technology for modeling Autism Spectrum Disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 130:104483. [PMID: 31129084 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that influence social skills, involving communication, interaction, and behavior, usually with repetitive and restrictive manners. Due to the variety of genes involved in ASDs and several possible environmental factors influence, there is still no answer to what really causes syndromic and non-syndromic types of ASDs, usually affecting each individual in a unique way. However, we know that the mechanism underlying ASDs involves brain functioning. The human brain is a complex structure composed of close to 100 billion cells, which is a big challenge to study counting just with post mortem tissue investigation or genetic approaches. Therefore, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) technology has been used as a tool to produce viable cells for understanding a working brain. Taking advantage of patient-derived stem cells, researchers are now able to generate neurons, glial cells and brain organoids in vitro to model ASDs. In this review we report data from different studies showing how iPSCs have been a critical tool to study the different phenotypes of ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiele Baldino Russo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Anita Brito
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Andrelissa Castanha
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz C de Freitas
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Patricia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Obstetrics, School of Arts Sciences and Humanities, São Paulo, SP 03828-000, Brazil.
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22
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Minakova E, Warner BB. Maternal immune activation, central nervous system development and behavioral phenotypes. Birth Defects Res 2018; 110:1539-1550. [PMID: 30430765 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) refers to a maternal immune system triggered by infectious or infectious-like stimuli. A cascade of cytokines and immunologic alterations are transmitted to the fetus, resulting in adverse phenotypes most notably in the central nervous system. Epidemiologic studies implicate maternal infections in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, most commonly autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. In animal models, MIA causes neurochemical and anatomic changes in the brain that correspond to those found in humans with the disorders. As our understanding of the interactions between environment, genetics, and immune system grows, the role of alternative, noninfectious risk factors, such as prenatal stress, obesity, and the gut microbiome also becomes clearer. This review considers how infectious and noninfectious etiologies activate the maternal immune system. Their impact on fetal programming and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring is examined in the context of human and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Minakova
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Barbara B Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri
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23
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Chai YL, Chong JR, Weng J, Howlett D, Halsey A, Lee JH, Attems J, Aarsland D, Francis PT, Chen CP, Lai MKP. Lysosomal cathepsin D is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease neocortex and may be a marker for neurofibrillary degeneration. Brain Pathol 2018; 29:63-74. [PMID: 30051532 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by accumulation of β-amyloid plaques (AP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the cortex, together with synaptic loss and amyloid angiopathy. Perturbations in the brain lysosomal system, including the cathepsin family of proteases, have been implicated in AD where they may be involved in proteolytic clearance of misfolded and abnormally aggregated peptides. However, the status of cathepsin D (catD) is unclear in Lewy body dementia, the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia after AD, and characterized by Lewy bodies (LB) containing aggregated α-synuclein. Furthermore, earlier reports of catD changes in AD have not been entirely consistent. We measured CatD immunoreactivities in the temporal (Brodmann area BA21) and parietal (BA40) cortices of well characterized AD brains as well as two clinical subtypes of Lewy body dementia, namely Parkinson disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), known to show varying degrees of concomitant AD pathology. Increased catD immunoreactivities in AD were found for both neocortical regions measured, where they also correlated with neuropathological NFT scores and phosphorylated pSer396 tau burden, and appeared to co-localize at least partly to NFT-containing neurons. In contrast, catD was increased only in BA40 in DLB and not at all in PDD, did not correlate with LB scores, and did not appreciably co-localize with α-synuclein inclusions. Our study suggests that catD upregulation may be an adaptive response to AD-related processes leading to neurofibrillary degeneration, but may not be directly associated with formation of α-synuclein inclusions in Lewy body dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuek Ling Chai
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
| | - Joyce R Chong
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore.,Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Kent Ridge, Singapore
| | - Jiaju Weng
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
| | - David Howlett
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea Halsey
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jasinda H Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
| | - Johannes Attems
- Institute of Neuroscience, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Department NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Paul T Francis
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher P Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore.,Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Kent Ridge, Singapore
| | - Mitchell K P Lai
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore.,Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Kent Ridge, Singapore.,Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, UK
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24
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Gładysz D, Krzywdzińska A, Hozyasz KK. Immune Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder-Could They Hold Promise for Causative Treatment? Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:6387-6435. [PMID: 29307081 PMCID: PMC6061181 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0822-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in language and communication development, social behavior, and the occurrence of stereotypic patterns of behavior and interests. Despite substantial speculation about causes of ASD, its exact etiology remains unknown. Recent studies highlight a link between immune dysfunction and behavioral traits. Various immune anomalies, including humoral and cellular immunity along with abnormalities at the molecular level, have been reported. There is evidence of altered immune function both in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood. Several studies hypothesize a role for neuroinflammation in ASD and are supported by brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, as well as evidence of microglial activation. It has been shown that immune abnormalities occur in a substantial number of individuals with ASD. Identifying subgroups with immune system dysregulation and linking specific cellular immunophenotypes to different symptoms would be key to defining a group of patients with immune abnormalities as a major etiology underlying behavioral symptoms. These determinations would provide the opportunity to investigate causative treatments for a defined patient group that may specifically benefit from such an approach. This review summarizes recent insights into immune system dysfunction in individuals with ASD and discusses the potential implications for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Gładysz
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Kamil K Hozyasz
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland.
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25
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Xu G, Snetselaar LG, Jing J, Liu B, Strathearn L, Bao W. Association of Food Allergy and Other Allergic Conditions With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children. JAMA Netw Open 2018; 1:e180279. [PMID: 30646068 PMCID: PMC6324407 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in US children has increased during the past decades. Immunologic dysfunction has recently emerged as a factor associated with ASD. Although children with ASD are more likely to have gastrointestinal disorders, little is known about the association between food allergy and ASD. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of food allergy and other allergic conditions with ASD in US children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based, cross-sectional study used data from the National Health Interview Survey collected between 1997 and 2016. The data analysis was performed in 2018. All eligible children aged 3 to 17 years were included. Food allergy, respiratory allergy, and skin allergy were defined based on an affirmative response in the questionnaire by a parent or guardian. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Reported ASD diagnosed by a physician or other health professional. RESULTS This analysis included 199 520 children (unweighted mean [SD] age, 10.21 [4.41] years; 102 690 boys [51.47%]; 55 476 Hispanic [27.80%], 97 200 non-Hispanic white [48.72%], 30 760 non-Hispanic black [15.42%], and 16 084 non-Hispanic other race [8.06%]). Among them, 8734 (weighted prevalence, 4.31%) had food allergy, 24 555 (12.15%) had respiratory allergy, and 19 399 (9.91%) had skin allergy. A diagnosis of ASD was reported in 1868 children (0.95%). The weighted prevalence of reported food, respiratory, and skin allergies was higher in children with ASD (11.25%, 18.73%, and 16.81%, respectively) compared with children without ASD (4.25%, 12.08%, and 9.84%, respectively). In analyses adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family highest education level, family income level, geographical region, and mutual adjustment for other allergic conditions, the associations between allergic conditions and ASD remained significant. The odds ratio (OR) of ASD increased in association with food allergy (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.87-2.81), respiratory allergy (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.50), and skin allergy (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.28-1.77) when comparing children with these conditions and those without. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In a nationally representative sample of US children, a significant and positive association of common allergic conditions, in particular food allergy, with ASD was found. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the causality and underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guifeng Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City
| | - Linda G. Snetselaar
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Buyun Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City
| | - Wei Bao
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City
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26
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Russo FB, Freitas BC, Pignatari GC, Fernandes IR, Sebat J, Muotri AR, Beltrão-Braga PCB. Modeling the Interplay Between Neurons and Astrocytes in Autism Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:569-578. [PMID: 29129319 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unclear etiology and imprecise genetic causes. The main goal of this work was to investigate neuronal connectivity and the interplay between neurons and astrocytes from individuals with nonsyndromic ASD using induced pluripotent stem cells. METHODS Induced pluripotent stem cells were derived from a clinically well-characterized cohort of three individuals with nonsyndromic ASD sharing common behaviors and three control subjects, two clones each. We generated mixed neural cultures analyzing synaptogenesis and neuronal activity using a multielectrode array platform. Furthermore, using an enriched astrocyte population, we investigated their role in neuronal maintenance. RESULTS ASD-derived neurons had a significant decrease in synaptic gene expression and protein levels, glutamate neurotransmitter release, and, consequently, reduced spontaneous firing rate. Based on co-culture experiments, we observed that ASD-derived astrocytes interfered with proper neuronal development. In contrast, control-derived astrocytes rescued the morphological neuronal phenotype and synaptogenesis defects from ASD neuronal co-cultures. Furthermore, after identifying interleukin-6 secretion from astrocytes in individuals with ASD as a possible culprit for neural defects, we were able to increase synaptogenesis by blocking interleukin-6 levels. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal the contribution of astrocytes to neuronal phenotype and confirm previous studies linking interleukin-6 and autism, suggesting potential novel therapeutic pathways for a subtype of individuals with ASD. This is the first report demonstrating that glial dysfunctions could contribute to nonsyndromic autism pathophysiology using induced pluripotent stem cells modeling disease technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiele Baldino Russo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Camille Freitas
- Department of Pediatrics, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California
| | - Graciela Conceição Pignatari
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabella Rodrigues Fernandes
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Pediatrics, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California
| | - Jonathan Sebat
- Department of Psychiatry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Alysson Renato Muotri
- Department of Pediatrics, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California
| | - Patricia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Obstetrics, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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27
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Gomez-Fernandez A, de la Torre-Aguilar MJ, Gil-Campos M, Flores-Rojas K, Cruz-Rico MD, Martin-Borreguero P, Perez-Navero JL. Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Regression Exhibit a Different Profile in Plasma Cytokines and Adhesion Molecules Compared to Children Without Such Regression. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:264. [PMID: 30320048 PMCID: PMC6169449 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it has been suggested that a proinflammatory condition, as well as an alteration in adhesion molecules in the early stages of neurodevelopment, may play a role in the pathophysiology of the disorder. This study set out to evaluate the plasma levels of certain inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules, and growth factors in a sample of pediatric patients with ASD and compare them to the levels in a control group of healthy children. Methods: Fifty-four children (45 males and nine females) aged 2-6, who were diagnosed with ASD, and a control group of 54 typically-developing children of similar ages were selected. The diagnosis of ASD was carried out in accordance with the DSM-5 criteria and the data obtained from a developmental semi-structured clinical interview and the ADOS evaluation test. Additional testing was carried out to identify the children's developmental level and severity of ASD symptomatology. Patients with ASD were further divided into two subgroups based on developmental parameters: ASD children with neurodevelopmental regression (AMR) and ASD children without neurodevelopmental regression (ANMR). Analyses of plasma molecules, such as cathepsin, IL1β, IL6, IL8, MPO, RANTES, MCP, BDNF, PAI NCAM, sICAM, sVCAM and NGF, were performed. Results: Higher levels of NGF were observed in the ASD group compared with the levels in the control group (p < 0.05). However, in the analysis of the ASD subgroups, lower plasma levels of NCAM and higher levels of NGF were found in the group of ASD children without developmental regression compared to the levels in the group of typically-developing children. Conclusions: These results suggest differences that could be related to different pathophysiological mechanisms in ASD. There is not a specific profile for the expression of relevant plasma cytokines, adhesion molecules or growth factors in children with ASD compared with that in typically-developing children. However, in the ANMR and AMR subgroups, some of the adhesion molecules and neuronal growth factors show differences that may be related to synaptogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gomez-Fernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Maria J de la Torre-Aguilar
- Department of Pediatrics, Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Mercedes Gil-Campos
- Pediatric Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Katherine Flores-Rojas
- Pediatric Metabolism Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Maria D Cruz-Rico
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Pilar Martin-Borreguero
- Department of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychiatry and Psychology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Perez-Navero
- Department of Pediatrics, Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
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Lacivita E, Perrone R, Margari L, Leopoldo M. Targets for Drug Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges and Future Directions. J Med Chem 2017; 60:9114-9141. [PMID: 29039668 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Various factors are involved in the etiopathogenesis of ASD, including genetic factors, environmental toxins and stressors, impaired immune responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. The heterogeneity in the phenotype among ASD patients and the complex etiology of the condition have long impeded the advancement of the development of pharmacological therapies. In the recent years, the integration of findings from mouse models to human genetics resulted in considerable progress toward the understanding of ASD pathophysiology. Currently, strategies to treat core symptoms of ASD are directed to correct synaptic dysfunctions, abnormalities in central oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin neurotransmission, and neuroinflammation. Here, we present a survey of the studies that have suggested molecular targets for drug development for ASD and the state-of-the-art of medicinal chemistry efforts in related areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enza Lacivita
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Perrone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Lucia Margari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche di Base, Neuroscienze e Organi di Senso, Unità di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Marcello Leopoldo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
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Dai X, Yin Y, Qin L. Valproic acid exposure decreases the mRNA stability of Bcl-2 via up-regulating miR-34a in the cerebellum of rat. Neurosci Lett 2017; 657:159-165. [PMID: 28803955 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, limited verbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Previous studies have shown that the level of Bcl-2 in the brain tissues of ASD patients is significantly decreased. However, the mechanisms underlie the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in ASD is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the alteration of Bcl-2 level and associated mechanisms in valproic acid (VPA) exposed ASD rats. VPA exposure resulted in ASD-like behaviors in rats, such as repetitive behavior and social interaction impairment. VPA exposure also down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 both at mRNA and protein levels, either in cerebellar cortex or primary cerebellar cortical neuronal cells. Furthermore, VPA treatment decreased the mRNA stability of Bcl-2 instead of down-regulating its transcriptional activity. Meanwhile, VPA exposure up-regulated the expression of miR-34a in cerebellar cortex and primary cerebellar cortical neuronal cells. The mimics of miR-34a directly inhibited the expression of Bcl-2 and its antagonist blocked the down-regulation effect of VPA on Bcl-2 in primary cerebellar cortical neuronal cells. Our study implies that VPA may influence ASD through sequential up-regulating miR-34a and therefore down-regulating Bcl-2 in the brain tissues of rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufang Dai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Psychological Diagnosis and Educational Technology for Children with Special Needs, Chongqing, 400047, China; College of Education Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 400047, China.
| | - Yunhou Yin
- Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Liyan Qin
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
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Xie J, Huang L, Li X, Li H, Zhou Y, Zhu H, Pan T, Kendrick KM, Xu W. Immunological cytokine profiling identifies TNF-α as a key molecule dysregulated in autistic children. Oncotarget 2017; 8:82390-82398. [PMID: 29137272 PMCID: PMC5669898 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be caused by immunological factors, particularly abnormalities in the innate immune system. However, it is still unclear which specific cytokines may be of most importance. The current study therefore investigated which cytokines showed altered concentrations in blood in ASD compared with healthy control children and which were also correlated with symptom severity. Our study sample included 32 children diagnosed with ASD and 28 age and sex-matched typically developing children. Autism symptoms were measured using the Autistic Behavior Checklist (ABC) and blood samples were taken from all subjects. We used Milliplex cytokine kits to determine serum concentrations of 11 Th1, Th2 and Th17 related cytokines. Additionally, expression of THRIL (TNFα and hnRNPL related immunoregulatory LincRNA), a long non-coding RNA involved in the regulation of tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α), was determined using real–time PCR. Of the 11 cytokines measured only concentrations of TNF-α (p=0.002), IL-1β (p=0.02) and IL-17a (p=0.049) were significantly increased in ASD children compared to typically developing controls, but only TNF-α concentrations were positively correlated with severity of ASD symptoms on all 5 different ABC sub-scales and were predictive of an ASD phenotype (area under the curve = 0.74). Furthermore, THRIL RNA expression was significantly decreased in ASD children. Our results provide further support for altered innate immunity being an important autism pathogenic factor, with autistic children showing increased blood TNF-α concentrations associated with symptom severity, and decreased expression of the THRIL gene involved in regulating TNF-α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Xie
- The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, China.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Li Huang
- The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, China.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Li
- The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongmei Zhou
- The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianying Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenming Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, SCU-CUHK, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Evidence of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism: Biochemical Links, Genetic-Based Associations, and Non-Energy-Related Mechanisms. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2017. [PMID: 28630658 PMCID: PMC5467355 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4314025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, represents a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behavior. The underlying cause of autism is unknown and therapy is currently limited to targeting behavioral abnormalities. Emerging studies suggest a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and ASD. Here, we review the evidence demonstrating this potential connection. We focus specifically on biochemical links, genetic-based associations, non-energy related mechanisms, and novel therapeutic strategies.
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Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for Analysis of Salivary Transcriptome in Non-Syndromic Autistic Male Children. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17101711. [PMID: 27754318 PMCID: PMC5085743 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17101711] [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: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood autism is a severe form of complex genetically heterogeneous and behaviorally defined set of neurodevelopmental diseases, collectively termed as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) is a highly sensitive technique for transcriptome analysis, and it has been frequently used in ASD gene expression studies. However, normalization to stably expressed reference gene(s) is necessary to validate any alteration reported at the mRNA level for target genes. The main goal of the present study was to find the most stable reference genes in the salivary transcriptome for RT-qPCR analysis in non-syndromic male childhood autism. Saliva samples were obtained from nine drug naïve non-syndromic male children with autism and also sex-, age-, and location-matched healthy controls using the RNA-stabilizer kit from DNA Genotek. A systematic two-phased measurement of whole saliva mRNA levels for eight common housekeeping genes (HKGs) was carried out by RT-qPCR, and the stability of expression for each candidate gene was analyzed using two specialized algorithms, geNorm and NormFinder, in parallel. Our analysis shows that while the frequently used HKG ACTB is not a suitable reference gene, the combination of GAPDH and YWHAZ could be recommended for normalization of RT-qPCR analysis of salivary transcriptome in non-syndromic autistic male children.
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Liu L, Zhang D, Rodzinka-pasko JK, Li YM. Environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorders. DER NERVENARZT 2016; 87:55-61. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-016-0172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Lee JH, Espinera AR, Chen D, Choi KE, Caslin AY, Won S, Pecoraro V, Xu GY, Wei L, Yu SP. Neonatal inflammatory pain and systemic inflammatory responses as possible environmental factors in the development of autism spectrum disorder of juvenile rats. J Neuroinflammation 2016; 13:109. [PMID: 27184741 PMCID: PMC4867541 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-016-0575-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects many children and juveniles. The pathogenesis of ASD is not well understood. Environmental factors may play important roles in the development of ASD. We examined a possible relationship of inflammatory pain in neonates and the development of ASD in juveniles. Methods Acute inflammation pain was induced by 5 % formalin (5 μl/day) subcutaneous injection into two hindpaws of postnatal day 3 to 5 (P3–P5) rat pups. Western blot, immunohistochemical, and behavioral examinations were performed at different time points after the insult. Results Formalin injection caused acute and chronic inflammatory responses including transient local edema, increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the blood as well as in the brain, and increased microglia in the brain. One day after the pain insult, there was significant cell death in the cortex and hippocampus. Two weeks later, although the hindpaw local reaction subsided, impaired axonal growth and demyelization were seen in the brain of P21 juvenile rats. The number of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and doublecortin (DCX) double-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of P21 rats was significantly lower than that in controls, indicating reduced neurogenesis. In the P21 rat’s brain of the formalin group, the expression of autism-related gene neurexin 1 (NRXN1), fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1), and oxytocin was significantly downregulated, consistent with the gene alteration in ASD. Juvenile rats in the formalin group showed hyperalgesia, repetitive behaviors, abnormal locomotion, sleep disorder, and distinct deficits in social memory and social activities. These alterations in neuroinflammatory reactions, gene expression, and behaviors were more evident in male than in female rats. Importantly, an anti-inflammation treatment using indomethacin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) at the time of formalin injections suppressed inflammatory responses and neuronal cell death and prevented alterations in ASD-related genes and the development of abnormal behaviors. Conclusions These novel observations indicate that severe inflammatory pain in neonates and persistent inflammatory reactions may predispose premature infants to development delays and psychiatric disorders including ASD. The prevention of pain stimuli and prompt treatments of inflammation during development appear vitally important in disrupting possible evolution of ASD syndromes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0575-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hwan Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Alyssa R Espinera
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Dongdong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,The Laboratory of Translational Pain Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Ko-Eun Choi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Asha Yoshiko Caslin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Soonmi Won
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Valentina Pecoraro
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Guang-Yin Xu
- The Laboratory of Translational Pain Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Shan Ping Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. .,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Atlanta, GA, 30033, USA. .,Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMB Suite 620, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Normal human CD4(+) helper T cells express Kv1.1 voltage-gated K(+) channels, and selective Kv1.1 block in T cells induces by itself robust TNFα production and secretion and activation of the NFκB non-canonical pathway. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2015; 123:137-57. [PMID: 26611796 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-015-1446-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
TNFα is a very potent and pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine, essential to the immune system for eradicating cancer and microorganisms, and to the nervous system, for brain development and ongoing function. Yet, excess and/or chronic TNFα secretion causes massive tissue damage in autoimmune, inflammatory and neurological diseases and injuries. Therefore, many patients with autoimmune/inflammatory diseases receive anti-TNFα medications. TNFα is secreted primarily by CD4(+) T cells, macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils and NK cells, mainly after immune stimulation. Yet, the cause for the pathologically high and chronic TNFα secretion is unknown. Can blocking of a particular ion channel in T cells induce by itself TNFα secretion? Such phenomenon was never revealed or even hypothesized. In this interdisciplinary study we discovered that: (1) normal human T cells express Kv1.1 voltage-gated potassium channel mRNA, and the Kv1.1 membrane-anchored protein channel; (2) Kv1.1 is expressed in most CD4(+)CD3(+) helper T cells (mean CD4(+)CD3(+)Kv1.1(+) T cells of 7 healthy subjects: 53.09 ± 22.17 %), but not in CD8(+)CD3(+) cytotoxic T cells (mean CD8(+)CD3(+)Kv1.1(+) T cells: 4.12 ± 3.04 %); (3) electrophysiological whole-cell recordings in normal human T cells revealed Kv currents; (4) Dendrotoxin-K (DTX-K), a highly selective Kv1.1 blocker derived from snake toxin, increases the rate of rise and decay of Kv currents in both resting and activated T cells, without affecting the peak current; (5) DTX-K by itself induces robust TNFα production and secretion by normal human T cells, without elevating IFNγ, IL-4 and IL-10; (6) intact Ca(2+) channels are required for DTX-induced TNFα secretion; (7) selective anti-Kv1.1 antibodies also induce by themselves TNFα secretion; (8) DTX-K activates NFκB in normal human T cells via the unique non-canonical-pathway; (9) injection of Kv1.1-blocked human T cells to SCID mice, causes recruitment of resident mouse cells into the liver, alike reported after TNFα injection into the brain. Based on our discoveries we speculate that abnormally blocked Kv1.1 in T cells (and other immune cells?), due to either anti-Kv1.1 autoimmune antibodies, or Kv1.1-blocking toxins alike DTX-K, or Kv1.1-blocking genetic mutations, may be responsible for the chronic/excessive TNFα in autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. Independently, we also hypothesize that selective block of Kv1.1 in CD4(+) T cells of patients with cancer or chronic infectious diseases could be therapeutic, since it may: a. augment beneficial secretion and delivery of TNFα to the disease-affected sites; b. induce recruitment and extravasation of curative immune cells and factors; c. improve accessibility of drugs to the brain and few peripheral organs thanks to TNFα-induced increased permeability of organ's barriers.
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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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Loke YJ, Hannan AJ, Craig JM. The Role of Epigenetic Change in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurol 2015; 6:107. [PMID: 26074864 PMCID: PMC4443738 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by problems with social communication, social interaction, and repetitive or restricted behaviors. ASD are comorbid with other disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, Rett syndrome, and Fragile X syndrome. Neither the genetic nor the environmental components have been characterized well enough to aid diagnosis or treatment of non-syndromic ASD. However, genome-wide association studies have amassed evidence suggesting involvement of hundreds of genes and a variety of associated genetic pathways. Recently, investigators have turned to epigenetics, a prime mediator of environmental effects on genomes and phenotype, to characterize changes in ASD that constitute a molecular level on top of DNA sequence. Though in their infancy, such studies have the potential to increase our understanding of the etiology of ASD and may assist in the development of biomarkers for its prediction, diagnosis, prognosis, and eventually in its prevention and intervention. This review focuses on the first few epigenome-wide association studies of ASD and discusses future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuk Jing Loke
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Anthony John Hannan
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Jeffrey Mark Craig
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia
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Zhao G, Gao J, Liang S, Wang X, Sun C, Xia W, Hao Y, Li X, Cao Y, Wu L. Study of the serum levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the expression of related liver metabolic enzymes in a rat valproate-induced autism model. Int J Dev Neurosci 2015; 44:14-21. [PMID: 25916973 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.04.350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate whether the decreased level of serum polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in patients with autism is associated with the expression of related liver metabolic enzymes, we selected rats that were exposed to valproic acid (VPA) on embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) as a model of autism. We observed the serum levels of PUFAs and the expression of related liver metabolic enzymes, including Δ5-desaturase, Δ6-desaturase and elongase (Elovl2), in VPA-exposed and control rats on postnatal day 35 (PND35) and conducted sex dimorphic analysis. We found that the levels of serum PUFAs and related liver metabolic enzymes in the VPA rats were significantly reduced, in association with autism-like behavioral changes, the abnormal expression of apoptosis-related proteins and hippocampal neuronal injury, compared to the control rats and showed sex difference in VPA group. This finding indicated that rats exposed to VPA at the embryonic stage may exhibit reduced synthesis of serum PUFAs due to the down-regulation of liver metabolic enzymes, thereby inducing nervous system injury and behavioral changes, which is affected by sex in the meantime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Zhao
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Jingquan Gao
- Department of Nursing, Daqing Campus of Harbin Medical University, Daqing 163319, China
| | - Shuang Liang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xuelai Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Caihong Sun
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Yanqiu Hao
- Department of Pediatric, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Yonggang Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, Daqing Campus of Harbin Medical University, Daqing 163319, China.
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
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Masi A, Quintana DS, Glozier N, Lloyd AR, Hickie IB, Guastella AJ. Cytokine aberrations in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:440-6. [PMID: 24934179 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The role of non-diagnostic features in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is unclear. Increasing evidence suggests immune system alterations in ASD may be implicated in the severity of behavioral impairment and other developmental outcomes. The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate if there is a characteristic abnormal cytokine profile in ASD compared with healthy controls (HCs). We identified relevant studies following a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge and Scopus. A meta-analysis was performed on studies comparing plasma and serum concentrations of cytokines in unmedicated participants with ASD and HCs. Results were reported according to PRISMA statement. Seventeen studies with a total sample size of 743 participants with ASD and 592 HC were included in the analysis. Nineteen cytokines were assessed. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1beta (P<0.001), IL-6 (P=0.03), IL-8 (P=0.04), interferon-gamma (P=0.02), eotaxin (P=0.01) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (P<0.05) were significantly higher in the participants with ASD compared with the HC group, while concentrations of transforming growth factor-β1 were significantly lower (P<0.001). There were no significant differences between ASD participants and controls for the other 12 cytokines analyzed. The findings of our meta-analysis identified significantly altered concentrations of cytokines in ASD compared to HCs, strengthening evidence of an abnormal cytokine profile in ASD where inflammatory signals dominate.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Masi
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - D S Quintana
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - N Glozier
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - A R Lloyd
- Inflammation and Infection Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - I B Hickie
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - A J Guastella
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Derakhshan N. Vagal Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Autism. Ment Illn 2015; 7:5788. [PMID: 26266025 PMCID: PMC4508631 DOI: 10.4081/mi.2015.5788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nima Derakhshan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Iran
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Neurotrophin blood-based gene expression and social cognition analysis in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Neurogenetics 2014; 16:123-31. [PMID: 25535174 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-014-0434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise neurodevelopmental disorders with clinical onset during the first years of life. The identification of peripheral biomarkers could significantly impact diagnosis and an individualized, early treatment. Although the aetiology of ASD remains poorly understood, there is increasing evidence that neurotrophins and their receptors represent a group of candidate genes for ASD pathophysiology and biomarker research. Total messenger RNA (mRNA) from whole blood was obtained from adolescents and adults diagnosed as ASD (n = 21) according to DSM-IV criteria and confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) algorithms, as well as healthy controls (n = 10). The mRNA expression of neurotrophins (BDNF, NT3 and NT4) and their receptors (TrkA, TrkB and p75 (NTR) ) was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, social cognition abilities of ASD patients and controls were determined according to three Theory of Mind (ToM) tests (Reading the Mind in the Eyes, Faux pas, and Happé stories). The NT3 and NT4 mRNA expression in the whole blood was significantly lower in ASD compared to healthy controls, while p75(NTR) was higher (P < 0.005). In addition, lower scores in three of the ToM tests were observed in ASD subjects compared to controls. A significant (P < 0.005) ToM impairment in Happé stories test was demonstrated in ASD. Nevertheless, no correlations were observed between neurotrophins and their receptors expressions and measures of ToM. Given their potential as peripheral blood-based biomarkers, NT3, NT4 and p75 (NTR) mRNA expression patterns may be useful tools for a more personalized diagnostics and therapy in ASD. Further investigations with larger numbers of samples are needed to verify these results.
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Hegazy HG, Ali EHA, Elgoly AHM. Interplay between pro-inflammatory cytokines and brain oxidative stress biomarkers: evidence of parallels between butyl paraben intoxication and the valproic acid brain physiopathology in autism rat model. Cytokine 2014; 71:173-80. [PMID: 25461396 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2014.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Butyl paraben is a preservative used in food, drugs and cosmetics. Neurotoxic effect was reported recently beside the potential estrogenic activity of parabens. There is controversy as to the potential harmful effects of butyl parabens, which are suspected to contribute to autism and learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities between paraben intoxication signs in the rat brain and brain markers in an autistic like rat model. This study provides evidence of many parallels between the two, including (1) oxidative stress, (2) decreased reduced glutathione levels and elevated oxidised glutathione, (3) mitochondrial dysfunction, and (4) neuroinflammation and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the brain (tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1-beta, and interleukin-6). (5) Increased protein oxidation reported by a significant increase in 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT)/tyrosine ratio. (6) A marked disturbance was found in the production of energy carriers (AMP, ATP and AMP/ATP ratio) in comparison with the control. The evidence suggests that paraben may, to some extent, either cause or contribute to the brain physiopathology in ASDs or pathogens that produce the brain pathology observed in the diagnosed rat model of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoda G Hegazy
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Elham H A Ali
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Amany H Mahmoud Elgoly
- Hormone Evaluation Department, National Organization for Drug Control And Research (NODCAR), Giza, Egypt
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43
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Yang CJ, Liu CL, Sang B, Zhu XM, Du YJ. The combined role of serotonin and interleukin-6 as biomarker for autism. Neuroscience 2014; 284:290-296. [PMID: 25453766 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis of autism is currently phenotype based with no reliable laboratory test available to assist clinicians. It has been shown that dysfunction of serotonin (5-HT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are involved in autism. The goal of this study was to evaluate the combined role of 5-HT and IL-6 as potential biomarkers for autism. The whole blood concentration of 5-HT and plasma concentration of IL-6 of individuals with autism were significantly elevated compared with the control group, and the concentration of 5-HT and IL-6 had positive correlations with the severity of autism. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the combination of 5-HT and IL-6 produced the best sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of autism. Therefore, the present study has revealed a simple clinical method with great potential for assisting the diagnosis of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- C-J Yang
- School of Preschool & Special Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - C-L Liu
- School of Preschool & Special Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - B Sang
- School of Preschool & Special Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - X-M Zhu
- Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Y-J Du
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Wei H, Alberts I, Li X. The apoptotic perspective of autism. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:13-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hongen Wei
- Central LaboratoryShanxi Provincial People's HospitalAffiliate of Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Ian Alberts
- Department of Natural SciencesLaGuardia CC, CUNYNew YorkNY11101USA
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Department of NeurochemistryNY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental DisabilitiesNew YorkNY10314USA
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45
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Rossignol DA, Frye RE. Evidence linking oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in the brain of individuals with autism. Front Physiol 2014; 5:150. [PMID: 24795645 PMCID: PMC4001006 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are defined solely on the basis of behavioral observations. Therefore, ASD has traditionally been framed as a behavioral disorder. However, evidence is accumulating that ASD is characterized by certain physiological abnormalities, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and immune dysregulation/inflammation. While these abnormalities have been reported in studies that have examined peripheral biomarkers such as blood and urine, more recent studies have also reported these abnormalities in brain tissue derived from individuals diagnosed with ASD as compared to brain tissue derived from control individuals. A majority of these brain tissue studies have been published since 2010. The brain regions found to contain these physiological abnormalities in individuals with ASD are involved in speech and auditory processing, social behavior, memory, and sensory and motor coordination. This manuscript examines the evidence linking oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and immune dysregulation/inflammation in the brain of ASD individuals, suggesting that ASD has a clear biological basis with features of known medical disorders. This understanding may lead to new testing and treatment strategies in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard E Frye
- Department of Pediatrics, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR, USA
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Mitchell RHB, Goldstein BI. Inflammation in children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders: a systematic review. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 53:274-96. [PMID: 24565356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There has been rapid growth in research regarding inflammation in neuropsychiatric disorders as it relates to youth. We therefore set out to systematically review the literature on inflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. METHOD A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Studies were included if proinflammatory markers (PIMs) in children and/or adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders were measured. RESULTS Sixty-seven studies were included, involving 3,952 youth. Evidence for a proinflammatory state is strongest for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). PIMs are elevated in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's disorder (TD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia (SZ). However, the data are inconsistent. Evidence for specific PIMs is equivocal at this stage, although the findings in youth with MDD, BD, and PTSD converge with the extant adult literature in these areas. Definitive conclusions are limited by methodologic factors including cross-sectional and retrospective study design, between-study differences in specific markers and methods of analysis, small sample size, and other sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION The literature regarding inflammation among children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders represents nearly 4,000 youth. There is preliminary evidence for elevated markers of inflammation in this population. Larger, prospective studies are needed to realize the goal of inflammatory markers informing clinical practice. In the interim, present findings suggest that further examination of this topic is warranted.
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Cannell JJ, Grant WB. What is the role of vitamin D in autism? DERMATO-ENDOCRINOLOGY 2014; 5:199-204. [PMID: 24494055 PMCID: PMC3897590 DOI: 10.4161/derm.24356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 03/03/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of literature suggests that higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, either in utero or in early life, may reduce the risk of autism. For example, an ecological study in the companion paper inversely correlated solar UV-B doses in the United States with prevalence of autism among those aged 6–17 y. That study proposed that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy could account for this finding, although the findings are also consistent with childhood vitamin D deficiency contributing to the condition. Also, in a recent study, children with autism had lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than did control subjects (19 vs. 33 ng/ml), despite parents of each group reporting the same amount of sun exposure. The same study found highly significant inverse correlations between 25(OH)D and autism rating scales and between 25(OH)D and levels of an antineuronal antibody. This finding indicates that higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations may reduce the symptoms of established autism. Because activated vitamin D, a secosteroid, upregulates DNA-repair genes, vitamin D deficiency during development may inhibit the repair of de novo DNA mutations in fetuses and infants and thus contribute to risk of autism. Vitamin D might also reduce the risk or severity of autism through its anti-inflammatory actions, antiautoimmune effects, increasing seizure threshold, increasing T-regulatory cells, protecting the mitochondria, and upregulating glutathione, which scavenges oxidative by-products and chelates (captures and excretes) heavy metals. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and childhood is a widespread and growing epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William B Grant
- Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center; San Francisco, CA USA
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48
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TNF-α downregulates inhibitory neurotransmission through protein phosphatase 1-dependent trafficking of GABA(A) receptors. J Neurosci 2013; 33:15879-93. [PMID: 24089494 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0530-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation has been implicated in the progression of neurological disease, yet precisely how inflammation affects neuronal function remains unclear. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is a proinflammatory cytokine that regulates synapse function by controlling neurotransmitter receptor trafficking and homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Here we characterize the mechanisms through which TNFα regulates inhibitory synapse function in mature rat and mouse hippocampal neurons. Acute application of TNFα induces a rapid and persistent decrease of inhibitory synaptic strength and downregulation of cell-surface levels of GABA(A)Rs containing α1, α2, β2/3, and γ2 subunits. We show that trafficking of GABA(A)Rs in response to TNFα is mediated by neuronally expressed TNF receptor 1 and requires activation of p38 MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), and dynamin GTPase. Furthermore, TNFα enhances the association of PP1 with GABA(A)R β3 subunits and dephosphorylates a site on β3 known to regulate phospho-dependent interactions with the endocytic machinery. Conversely, we find that calcineurin and PP2A are not essential components of the signaling pathway and that clustering of the scaffolding protein gephyrin is only reduced after the initial receptor endocytosis. Together, these findings demonstrate a distinct mechanism of regulated GABA(A)R endocytosis that may contribute to the disruption of circuit homeostasis under neuroinflammatory conditions.
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49
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Lucchina L, Depino AM. Altered Peripheral and Central Inflammatory Responses in a Mouse Model of Autism. Autism Res 2013; 7:273-89. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Lucchina
- Institute for Physiology; Molecular Biology and Neurosciences; CONICET-UBA; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Department of Physiology; Molecular and Cellular Biology; FCEyN; University of Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Amaicha Mara Depino
- Institute for Physiology; Molecular Biology and Neurosciences; CONICET-UBA; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Department of Physiology; Molecular and Cellular Biology; FCEyN; University of Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
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50
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Mizejewski GJ, Lindau-Shepard B, Pass KA. Newborn screening for autism: in search of candidate biomarkers. Biomark Med 2013; 7:247-60. [PMID: 23547820 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.12.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction, language, communication and range of interests. Autism is usually diagnosed in children 3-5 years of age using behavioral characteristics; thus, diagnosis shortly after birth would be beneficial for early initiation of treatment. AIM This retrospective study sought to identify newborns at risk for ASD utilizing bloodspot specimens in an immunoassay. MATERIALS & METHODS The present study utilized stored frozen specimens from ASD children already diagnosed at 15-36 months of age. The newborn specimens and controls were analyzed by immunoassay in a multiplex system that included 90 serum biomarkers and subjected to statisical analysis. RESULTS Three sets of five biomarkers associated with ASD were found that differed from control groups. The 15 candidate biomarkers were then discussed regarding their association with ASD. CONCLUSION This study determined that a statistically selected panel of 15 biomarkers successfully discriminated presumptive newborns at risk for ASD from those of nonaffected controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald J Mizejewski
- Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, NYS Department of Health, PO Box 509, Albany, NY 12201 0509, USA.
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