Background
Accumulating evidence suggests that the immune system plays a role in the pathophysiology
of autism, and that the adhesion molecules play an important role in the process of
inflammation. This study was undertaken to determine whether serum levels of the adhesion
molecules in subjects with high-functioning autism are altered as compared with those
of normal controls.
Methods
Seventeen male subjects with high-functioning autism and 22 male age-matched unrelated
healthy control subjects were enrolled. Serum levels of the soluble forms of platelet-endothelial
adhesion molecule (PECAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), and vascular
cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) were measured.
Results
Levels of PECAM-1, but not ICAM-1, in the subjects with autism were significantly
lower than those of control subjects. VCAM-1 showed a weak trend for a lowered level.
There was a negative correlation between serum levels of PECAM-1 and head circumference
at birth in the autistic subjects.
Conclusions
These results suggest that PECAM-1 plays a role in the pathophysiology of high-functioning
autism.
Key Words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Biological PsychiatryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.(4th ed). American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC1994
- Autism: a window onto the development of the social and the analytic brain.Annu Rev Neurosci. 2005; 28: 109-126
- Adhesion molecules and atherosclerosis.Atherosclerosis. 2003; 170: 191-203
- Immunological findings in autism.Int Rev Neurobiol. 2005; 71: 317-341
- Perinatal factors and the development of autism: a population study.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004; 61: 618-627
- Brief report: immune factors in autism: a critical review.J Autism Dev Disord. 2002; 32: 337-345
- Risk factors for autism: perinatal factors, parental psychiatric history, and socioeconomic status.Am J Epidemiol. 2005; 161: 916-925
- Adhesion molecule expression and regulation on cells of the central nervous system.J Neuroimmunol. 1999; 98: 77-88
- Obstetric complications and schizophrenia: methodology and mechanisms.in: Schulz S.C. Tamminga C.A. Schizophrenia: Scientific Progress. Oxford University Press, Oxford1989: 56-68
- Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised: a revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders.J Autism Dev Disord. 1994; 24: 659-685
- Immunity, neuroglia and neuroinflammation in autism.Int Rev Psychiatry. 2005; 17: 485-495
- When is the brain enlarged in autism?.Biol Psychiatry. 2005; 58: 1-9
- Autism.Lancet. 2003; 362: 1133-1141
- sPECAM-1 in serum and CSF of acute ischaemic stroke patients.Acta Neurol Scand. 2002; 106: 292-298
Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 18, 2007
Accepted:
December 21,
2006
Received in revised form:
December 6,
2006
Received:
August 26,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
