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Sarieva K, Kagermeier T, Khakipoor S, Atay E, Yentür Z, Becker K, Mayer S. Human brain organoid model of maternal immune activation identifies radial glia cells as selectively vulnerable. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5077-5089. [PMID: 36878967 PMCID: PMC9986664 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during critical windows of gestation is correlated with long-term neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring, including increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in humans. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) derived from the gestational parent is one of the major molecular mediators by which MIA alters the developing brain. In this study, we establish a human three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model of MIA by treating induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dorsal forebrain organoids with a constitutively active form of IL-6, Hyper-IL-6. We validate our model by showing that dorsal forebrain organoids express the molecular machinery necessary for responding to Hyper-IL-6 and activate STAT signaling upon Hyper-IL-6 treatment. RNA sequencing analysis reveals the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) genes in response to Hyper-IL-6 exposure, which have been implicated with ASD. We find a small increase in the proportion of radial glia cells after Hyper-IL-6 treatment through immunohistochemistry and single-cell RNA-sequencing. We further show that radial glia cells are the cell type with the highest number of differentially expressed genes, and Hyper-IL-6 treatment leads to the downregulation of genes related to protein translation in line with a mouse model of MIA. Additionally, we identify differentially expressed genes not found in mouse models of MIA, which might drive species-specific responses to MIA. Finally, we show abnormal cortical layering as a long-term consequence of Hyper-IL-6 treatment. In summary, we establish a human 3D model of MIA, which can be used to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the increased risk for developing disorders such as ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniia Sarieva
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Theresa Kagermeier
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shokoufeh Khakipoor
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ezgi Atay
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zeynep Yentür
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Becker
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simone Mayer
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Cai C, Yin Z, Liu A, Wang H, Zeng S, Wang Z, Qiu H, Li S, Zhou J, Wang M. Identifying Rare Genetic Variants of Immune Mediators as Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:1098. [PMID: 35741860 PMCID: PMC9223212 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects more than 1% of children, and there is no viable pharmacotherapeutic agent to treat the core symptoms of ASD. Studies have shown that children with ASD show changes in their levels of immune response molecules. Our previous studies have shown that ASD is more common in children with folate receptor autoantibodies. We also found that children with ASD have abnormal gut immune function, which was characterized by a significant increase in the content of immunoglobulin A and an increase in gut-microbiota-associated epitope diversity. These studies suggest that the immune mechanism plays an important role in the occurrence of ASD. The present study aims to systematically assess gene mutations in immune mediators in patients with ASD. We collected genetic samples from 72 children with ASD (2−12 years old) and 107 healthy controls without ASD (20−78 years old). We used our previously-designed immune gene panel, which can capture cytokine and receptor genes, the coding regions of MHC genes, and genes of innate immunity. Target region sequencing (500×) and bioinformatics analytical methods were used to identify variants in immune response genes associated with patients with ASD. A total of 4 rare variants were found to be associated with ASD, including HLA-B: p.A93G, HLA-DQB1: p.S229N, LILRB2: p.R322H, and LILRB2: c.956-4C>T. These variants were present in 44.44% (32/72) of the ASD patients and were detected in 3.74% (4/107) of the healthy controls. We expect these genetic variants will serve as new targets for the clinical genetic assessment of ASD, and our findings suggest that immune abnormalities in children with ASD may have a genetic basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunquan Cai
- Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China;
| | - Zhaoqing Yin
- Division of Neonatology, The People’s Hospital of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture, Mangshi 678400, China;
| | - Aiping Liu
- The Department of Laboratory, Public Health Service Center of Bao’an District, Bao’an District, Shenzhen 518018, China;
| | - Hui Wang
- Xiamen Branch of Children’s Hospital of Fudan University (Xiamen Children’s Hospital), Xiamen 361006, China;
| | - Shujuan Zeng
- Division of Neonatology, Longgang Central Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518116, China; (S.Z.); (H.Q.)
| | - Zhangxing Wang
- Division of Neonatology, Shenzhen Longhua People’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518109, China;
| | - Huixian Qiu
- Division of Neonatology, Longgang Central Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518116, China; (S.Z.); (H.Q.)
| | - Shijun Li
- Department of Radiology, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Jiaxiu Zhou
- Division of Psychology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, China
| | - Mingbang Wang
- Microbiome Therapy Center, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518111, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
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3
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Immune Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know about It? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063033. [PMID: 35328471 PMCID: PMC8955336 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a wide and variable set of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including deficits in social communication, narrow and restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. The immune hypothesis is considered to be a major factor contributing to autism pathogenesis, as well as a way to explain the differences of the clinical phenotypes and comorbidities influencing disease course and severity. Evidence highlights a link between immune dysfunction and behavioral traits in autism from several types of evidence found in both cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood and their utility to identify autistic subgroups with specific immunophenotypes; underlying behavioral symptoms are also shown. This review summarizes current insights into immune dysfunction in ASD, with particular reference to the impact of immunological factors related to the maternal influence of autism development; comorbidities influencing autism disease course and severity; and others factors with particular relevance, including obesity. Finally, we described main elements of similarities between immunopathology overlapping neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, taking as examples autism and Parkinson Disease, respectively.
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Analyzing the Potential Biological Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Neuroinflammation to the Kynurenine Pathway. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090631. [PMID: 32932826 PMCID: PMC7563403 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) etiopathogenesis is still unclear and no effective preventive and treatment measures have been identified. Research has focused on the potential role of neuroinflammation and the Kynurenine pathway; here we review the nature of these interactions. Pre-natal or neonatal infections would induce microglial activation, with secondary consequences on behavior, cognition and neurotransmitter networks. Peripherally, higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-brain antibodies have been identified. Increased frequency of autoimmune diseases, allergies, and recurring infections have been demonstrated both in autistic patients and in their relatives. Genetic studies have also identified some important polymorphisms in chromosome loci related to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. The persistence of immune-inflammatory deregulation would lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, creating a self-sustaining cytotoxic loop. Chronic inflammation activates the Kynurenine pathway with an increase in neurotoxic metabolites and excitotoxicity, causing long-term changes in the glutamatergic system, trophic support and synaptic function. Furthermore, overactivation of the Kynurenine branch induces depletion of melatonin and serotonin, worsening ASD symptoms. Thus, in genetically predisposed subjects, aberrant neurodevelopment may derive from a complex interplay between inflammatory processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and Kynurenine pathway overexpression. To validate this hypothesis a new translational research approach is necessary.
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Martin P, Wagh V, Reis SA, Erdin S, Beauchamp RL, Shaikh G, Talkowski M, Thiele E, Sheridan SD, Haggarty SJ, Ramesh V. TSC patient-derived isogenic neural progenitor cells reveal altered early neurodevelopmental phenotypes and rapamycin-induced MNK-eIF4E signaling. Mol Autism 2020; 11:2. [PMID: 31921404 PMCID: PMC6945400 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0311-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with frequent occurrence of epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and tumors in multiple organs. The aberrant activation of mTORC1 in TSC has led to treatment with mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin as a lifelong therapy for tumors, but TSC-associated neurocognitive manifestations remain unaffected by rapamycin. Methods Here, we generated patient-specific, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a TSC patient with a heterozygous, germline, nonsense mutation in exon 15 of TSC1 and established an isogenic set of heterozygous (Het), null and corrected wildtype (Corr-WT) iPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. We differentiated these iPSCs into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and examined neurodevelopmental phenotypes, signaling and changes in gene expression by RNA-seq. Results Differentiated NPCs revealed enlarged cell size in TSC1-Het and Null NPCs, consistent with mTORC1 activation. TSC1-Het and Null NPCs also revealed enhanced proliferation and altered neurite outgrowth in a genotype-dependent manner, which was not reversed by rapamycin. Transcriptome analyses of TSC1-NPCs revealed differentially expressed genes that display a genotype-dependent linear response, i.e., genes upregulated/downregulated in Het were further increased/decreased in Null. In particular, genes linked to ASD, epilepsy, and ID were significantly upregulated or downregulated warranting further investigation. In TSC1-Het and Null NPCs, we also observed basal activation of ERK1/2, which was further activated upon rapamycin treatment. Rapamycin also increased MNK1/2-eIF4E signaling in TSC1-deficient NPCs. Conclusion MEK-ERK and MNK-eIF4E pathways regulate protein translation, and our results suggest that aberrant translation distinct in TSC1/2-deficient NPCs could play a role in neurodevelopmental defects. Our data showing upregulation of these signaling pathways by rapamycin support a strategy to combine a MEK or a MNK inhibitor with rapamycin that may be superior for TSC-associated CNS defects. Importantly, our generation of isogenic sets of NPCs from TSC patients provides a valuable platform for translatome and large-scale drug screening studies. Overall, our studies further support the notion that early developmental events such as NPC proliferation and initial process formation, such as neurite number and length that occur prior to neuronal differentiation, represent primary events in neurogenesis critical to disease pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Martin
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Vilas Wagh
- 2MERCK Research Laboratories, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Surya A Reis
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Roberta L Beauchamp
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Ghalib Shaikh
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Michael Talkowski
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA.,3Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Elizabeth Thiele
- 3Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Steven D Sheridan
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA.,4Center for Quantitative Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA.,3Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Vijaya Ramesh
- 1Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA.,3Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114 USA
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Harville T, Rhodes-Clark B, Bennuri SC, Delhey L, Slattery J, Tippett M, Wynne R, Rose S, Kahler S, Frye RE. Inheritance of HLA-Cw7 Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:612. [PMID: 31572230 PMCID: PMC6749146 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined disorder that is now thought to affect approximately 1 in 69 children in the United States. In most cases, the etiology is unknown, but several studies point to the interaction of genetic predisposition with environmental factors. The immune system is thought to have a causative role in ASD, and specific studies have implicated T lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and certain cytokines. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is involved in the underlying process for shaping an individual's immune system, and specific HLA alleles are associated with specific diseases as risk factors. In this study, we determine whether a specific HLA allele was associated with ASD in a large cohort of patients with ASD. Identifying such an association could help in the identification of immune system components which may have a causative role in specific cohorts of patients with ASD who share similar specific clinical features. Specimens from 143 patients with ASD were analyzed with respect to race and ethnicity. Overall, HLA-Cw7 was present in a much greater frequency than expected in individuals with ASD as compared to the general population. Further, the cohort of patients who express HLA-Cw7 shares specific immune system/inflammatory clinical features including being more likely to have allergies, food intolerances, and chronic sinusitis as compared to those with ASD who did not express HLA-Cw7. HLA-Cw7 has a role in stimulating NK cells. Thus, this finding may indicate that chronic over-activation of NK cells may have a role in the manifestation of ASD in a cohort of patients with increased immune system/inflammatory features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Harville
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Bobbie Rhodes-Clark
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Sirish C Bennuri
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Leanna Delhey
- School of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - John Slattery
- BioRosa Technologies Inc, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marie Tippett
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Rebecca Wynne
- National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Shannon Rose
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Stephen Kahler
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Richard E Frye
- Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, United States.,Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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7
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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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Analysis of shared homozygosity regions in Saudi siblings with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatr Genet 2018; 27:131-138. [PMID: 28452824 PMCID: PMC5495552 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
AIM Genetic and clinical complexities are common features of most psychiatric illnesses that pose a major obstacle in risk-gene identification. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent child-onset psychiatric illness, with high heritability. Over the past decade, numerous genetic studies utilizing various approaches, such as genome-wide association, candidate-gene association, and linkage analysis, have identified a multitude of candidate loci/genes. However, such studies have yielded diverse findings that are rarely reproduced, indicating that other genetic determinants have not been discovered yet. In this study, we carried out sib-pair analysis on seven multiplex families with ADHD from Saudi Arabia. We aimed to identify the candidate chromosomal regions and genes linked to the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 41 individuals from multiplex families were analyzed for shared regions of homozygosity. Genes within these regions were prioritized according to their potential relevance to ADHD. RESULTS We identified multiple genomic regions spanning different chromosomes to be shared among affected members of each family; these included chromosomes 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 17, and 18. We also found specific regions on chromosomes 8 and 17 to be shared between affected individuals from more than one family. Among the genes present in the regions reported here were involved in neurotransmission (GRM3, SIGMAR1, CHAT, and SLC18A3) and members of the HLA gene family (HLA-A, HLA-DPA1, and MICC). CONCLUSION The candidate regions identified in this study highlight the genetic diversity of ADHD. Upon further investigation, these loci may reveal candidate genes that enclose variants associated with ADHD. Although most ADHD studies were conducted in other populations, our study provides insight from an understudied, ethnically interesting population.
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Sayad A, Akbari MT, Noroozi R, Omrani MD, Inoko H, Taheri M, Ghafouri-Fard S. Association of HLA alleles with autism. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2018; 14:3259-3265. [PMID: 30568448 PMCID: PMC6267725 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s186673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders known by impaired social interaction and activities and abnormal repetitive behavior. As a multifactorial disorder, several genetic and immunological factors have been shown to be implicated in its pathogenesis. METHODS Among them are certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. In the current study, we genotyped HLA-A, -B & DRB alleles in 103 Iranian ASD patients and 180 age, gender, and ethnic-matched healthy controls. RESULTS After Boferroni correction no allele or haplotype was associated with genetic susceptibility to ASD in Iranian population. CONCLUSION Future studies are needed to assess contribution of immunological factors such as HLA alleles in ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezou Sayad
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
| | - Mohammad Taghi Akbari
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rezvan Noroozi
- Photochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mir Davood Omrani
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, .,Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hidetoshi Inoko
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
| | - Mohammad Taheri
- Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
| | - Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
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Steele NZR, Carr JS, Bonham LW, Geier EG, Damotte V, Miller ZA, Desikan RS, Boehme KL, Mukherjee S, Crane PK, Kauwe JSK, Kramer JH, Miller BL, Coppola G, Hollenbach JA, Huang Y, Yokoyama JS. Fine-mapping of the human leukocyte antigen locus as a risk factor for Alzheimer disease: A case-control study. PLoS Med 2017; 14:e1002272. [PMID: 28350795 PMCID: PMC5369701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive disorder that affects cognitive function. There is increasing support for the role of neuroinflammation and aberrant immune regulation in the pathophysiology of AD. The immunoregulatory human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex has been linked to susceptibility for a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including AD; however, studies to date have failed to consistently identify a risk HLA haplotype for AD. Contributing to this difficulty are the complex genetic organization of the HLA region, differences in sequencing and allelic imputation methods, and diversity across ethnic populations. METHODS AND FINDINGS Building on prior work linking the HLA to AD, we used a robust imputation method on two separate case-control cohorts to examine the relationship between HLA haplotypes and AD risk in 309 individuals (191 AD, 118 cognitively normal [CN] controls) from the San Francisco-based University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center (collected between 1999-2015) and 11,381 individuals (5,728 AD, 5,653 CN controls) from the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), a National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded national data repository (reflecting samples collected between 1984-2012). We also examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker measures for patients seen between 2005-2007 and longitudinal cognitive data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 346, mean follow-up 3.15 ± 2.04 y in AD individuals) to assess the clinical relevance of identified risk haplotypes. The strongest association with AD risk occurred with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype A*03:01~B*07:02~DRB1*15:01~DQA1*01:02~DQB1*06:02 (p = 9.6 x 10-4, odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval] = 1.21 [1.08-1.37]) in the combined UCSF + ADGC cohort. Secondary analysis suggested that this effect may be driven primarily by individuals who are negative for the established AD genetic risk factor, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4. Separate analyses of class I and II haplotypes further supported the role of class I haplotype A*03:01~B*07:02 (p = 0.03, OR = 1.11 [1.01-1.23]) and class II haplotype DRB1*15:01- DQA1*01:02- DQB1*06:02 (DR15) (p = 0.03, OR = 1.08 [1.01-1.15]) as risk factors for AD. We followed up these findings in the clinical dataset representing the spectrum of cognitively normal controls, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and individuals with AD to assess their relevance to disease. Carrying A*03:01~B*07:02 was associated with higher CSF amyloid levels (p = 0.03, β ± standard error = 47.19 ± 21.78). We also found a dose-dependent association between the DR15 haplotype and greater rates of cognitive decline (greater impairment on the 11-item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale [ADAS11] over time [p = 0.03, β ± standard error = 0.7 ± 0.3]; worse forgetting score on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) over time [p = 0.02, β ± standard error = -0.2 ± 0.06]). In a subset of the same cohort, dose of DR15 was also associated with higher baseline levels of chemokine CC-4, a biomarker of inflammation (p = 0.005, β ± standard error = 0.08 ± 0.03). The main study limitations are that the results represent only individuals of European-ancestry and clinically diagnosed individuals, and that our study used imputed genotypes for a subset of HLA genes. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence that variation in the HLA locus-including risk haplotype DR15-contributes to AD risk. DR15 has also been associated with multiple sclerosis, and its component alleles have been implicated in Parkinson disease and narcolepsy. Our findings thus raise the possibility that DR15-associated mechanisms may contribute to pan-neuronal disease vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Z. R. Steele
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jessie S. Carr
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Luke W. Bonham
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ethan G. Geier
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Vincent Damotte
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Zachary A. Miller
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rahul S. Desikan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Kevin L. Boehme
- Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Shubhabrata Mukherjee
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Paul K. Crane
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | - Joel H. Kramer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jill A. Hollenbach
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Yadong Huang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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11
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Meltzer A, Van de Water J. The Role of the Immune System in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:284-298. [PMID: 27534269 PMCID: PMC5143489 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication and social skills as well as repetitive and stereotypical behaviors. While much effort has focused on the identification of genes associated with autism, research emerging within the past two decades suggests that immune dysfunction is a viable risk factor contributing to the neurodevelopmental deficits observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Further, it is the heterogeneity within this disorder that has brought to light much of the current thinking regarding the subphenotypes within ASD and how the immune system is associated with these distinctions. This review will focus on the two main axes of immune involvement in ASD, namely dysfunction in the prenatal and postnatal periods. During gestation, prenatal insults including maternal infection and subsequent immunological activation may increase the risk of autism in the child. Similarly, the presence of maternally derived anti-brain autoantibodies found in ~20% of mothers whose children are at risk for developing autism has defined an additional subphenotype of ASD. The postnatal environment, on the other hand, is characterized by related but distinct profiles of immune dysregulation, inflammation, and endogenous autoantibodies that all persist within the affected individual. Further definition of the role of immune dysregulation in ASD thus necessitates a deeper understanding of the interaction between both maternal and child immune systems, and the role they have in diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amory Meltzer
- Division of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Judy Van de Water
- Division of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- NIEHS Center for Children's Environmental Health, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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12
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Torres AR, Sweeten TL, Johnson RC, Odell D, Westover JB, Bray-Ward P, Ward DC, Davies CJ, Thomas AJ, Croen LA, Benson M. Common Genetic Variants Found in HLA and KIR Immune Genes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:463. [PMID: 27812316 PMCID: PMC5071356 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The "common variant-common disease" hypothesis was proposed to explain diseases with strong inheritance. This model suggests that a genetic disease is the result of the combination of several common genetic variants. Common genetic variants are described as a 5% frequency differential between diseased vs. matched control populations. This theory was recently supported by an epidemiology paper stating that about 50% of genetic risk for autism resides in common variants. However, rare variants, rather than common variants, have been found in numerous genome wide genetic studies and many have concluded that the "common variant-common disease" hypothesis is incorrect. One interpretation is that rare variants are major contributors to genetic diseases and autism involves the interaction of many rare variants, especially in the brain. It is obvious there is much yet to be learned about autism genetics. Evidence has been mounting over the years indicating immune involvement in autism, particularly the HLA genes on chromosome 6 and KIR genes on chromosome 19. These two large multigene complexes have important immune functions and have been shown to interact to eliminate unwanted virally infected and malignant cells. HLA proteins have important functions in antigen presentation in adaptive immunity and specific epitopes on HLA class I proteins act as cognate ligands for KIR receptors in innate immunity. Data suggests that HLA alleles and KIR activating genes/haplotypes are common variants in different autism populations. For example, class I allele (HLA-A2 and HLA-G 14 bp-indel) frequencies are significantly increased by more than 5% over control populations (Table 2). The HLA-DR4 Class II and shared epitope frequencies are significantly above the control populations (Table 2). Three activating KIR genes: 3DS1, 2DS1, and 2DS2 have increased frequencies of 15, 22, and 14% in autism populations, respectively. There is a 6% increase in total activating KIR genes in autism over control subjects. And, more importantly there is a 12% increase in activating KIR genes and their cognate HLA alleles over control populations (Torres et al., 2012a). These data suggest the interaction of HLA ligand/KIR receptor pairs encoded on two different chromosomes is more significant as a ligand/receptor complex than separately in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R. Torres
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Randall C. Johnson
- BSP CCR Genetics Core, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederick, MD, USA
| | - Dennis Odell
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Jonna B. Westover
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Patricia Bray-Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - David C. Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Aaron J. Thomas
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern CaliforniaOakland, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Michael Benson
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
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Torres A, Westover J, Benson M, Johnson R, Dykes A. A Killer Immunoglobulin - Like Receptor Gene - Content Haplotype and A Cognate Human Leukocyte Antigen Ligand are Associated with Autism. AUTISM-OPEN ACCESS 2016; 6:171. [PMID: 27853655 PMCID: PMC5108574 DOI: 10.4172/2165-7890.1000171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The killing activity of natural killer cells is largely regulated by the binding of class I human leukocyte antigen cognate ligands to killer cell immunoglobulin - like receptor proteins. The killer cell immunoglobulin - like receptor gene - complex contains genes that activate and others that inhibit the killing state of natural killer cells depending on the binding of specific human leukocyte antigen cognate ligands. It has been suggested in previous publications that activating human leukocyte antigen/killer - cell immunoglobulin - like receptor complexes are increased in people with autism. We present data, which suggests that an activating cB01/tA01 killer cell immunoglobulin - like receptor gene - content haplotype and the cognate ligand human leukocyte antigen - C1k that activates this haplotype is significantly increased in autism. This is an important observation suggesting that the interaction between two proteins encoded on different chromosomes increases natural killer cell killing in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Torres
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Jonna Westover
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Michael Benson
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Randall Johnson
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Annelise Dykes
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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Vijayakumar NT, Judy MV. Autism spectrum disorders: Integration of the genome, transcriptome and the environment. J Neurol Sci 2016; 364:167-76. [PMID: 27084239 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders denote a series of lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by an impaired social communication profile and often repetitive, stereotyped behavior. Recent years have seen the complex genetic architecture of the disease being progressively unraveled with advancements in gene finding technology and next generation sequencing methods. However, a complete elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind autism is necessary for potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A multidisciplinary approach should be adopted where the focus is not only on the 'genetics' of autism but also on the combinational roles of epigenetics, transcriptomics, immune system disruption and environmental factors that could all influence the etiopathogenesis of the disease. ASD is a clinically heterogeneous disorder with great genetic complexity; only through an integrated multidimensional effort can modern autism research progress further.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Thushara Vijayakumar
- Department of Computer Science & IT., Amrita School of Arts & Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Kochi, India.
| | - M V Judy
- Department of Computer Science & IT., Amrita School of Arts & Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Kochi, India
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15
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Significant Association of HLA-B Alleles and Genotypes in Thai Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study. DISEASE MARKERS 2015; 2015:724935. [PMID: 26819491 PMCID: PMC4706891 DOI: 10.1155/2015/724935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Many susceptible causative genes have been identified. Most of the previous reports showed the relationship between the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) gene and etiology of autism. In order to identify HLA-B alleles associated with autism in Thai population, we compared the frequency of HLA-B allele in 364 autistic subjects with 952 normal subjects by using a two-stage sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe system (PCR-SSOP) method based on flow-cytometry technology. HLA-B (⁎) 13:02 (P = 0.019, OR = 2.229), HLA-B (⁎) 38:02 (P = 0.049, OR = 1.628), HLA-B (⁎) 44:03 (P = 0.016, OR = 1.645), and HLA-B (⁎) 56:01 (P = 1.78 × 10(-4), OR = 4.927) alleles were significantly increased in autistic subjects compared with normal subjects. Moreover, we found that the HLA-B (⁎) 18:02 (P = 0.016, OR = 0.375) and HLA-B (⁎) 46:12 (P = 0.008, OR = 0.147) alleles were negatively associated with autism when compared to normal controls. Both alleles might have a protective role in disease development. In addition, four HLA-B genotypes of autistic patients had statistically significant relationship with control groups, consisting of HLA-B (⁎) 3905/(⁎) 5801 (P = 0.032, OR = 24.697), HLA-B (⁎) 2704/(⁎) 5801 (P = 0.022, OR = 6.872), HLA-B (⁎) 3501/(⁎) 4403 (P = 0.021, OR = 30.269), and HLA-B (⁎) 1801/(⁎) 4402 (P = 0.017, OR = 13.757). This is the first report on HLA-B associated with Thai autism and may serve as a marker for genetic susceptibility to autism in Thai population.
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