the same stuff more briefly from Nature

[Guest guest]

>

>

>

> Logout of nature.com <http://www.nature.com/foxtrot/svc/logout>

>

> Nature Reviews Neuroscience homepage

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/index.html>

> Search Advanced search

>

<http://www.nature.com/search/adv_search?sp-a=sp1001702d & sp-x-1=ujournal & sp-q-1=\

Nature%20Reviews%20Neuroscience>

>

>

> Journal home <http://www.nature.com/nrn/index.html> > Archive

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/archive/> > Research Highlight

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/index.html#rhighlts> > Full Text

>

>

> Research Highlight

>

> Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6, 9 (January 2005) | doi:10.1038/nrn1598

>

>

> Neurological disorders: A new dimension of autism

>

> Jane Qiu

>

> A new dimension of autism

>

> A marked increase in the number of activated microglia (stained brown)

> in the cerebellum from patients with autism (right) compared with

> healthy controls (left). Courtesy of C. A. Pardo, Hopkins University.

>

> Autism is regarded as a developmental disorder of the nervous system —

> an idea that is consistent with the gross abnormalities seen in the

> brains of patients with autism. The clinical manifestation of the

> disease is heterogeneous and the causes remain controversial.

> Reporting in the ls of Neurology, Vargas and colleagues have added

> another layer of complexity by showing that immune cells are more

> active in the brains of patients with autism and cause increased

> inflammation.

>

> Immune dysfunction has been implicated as a potential mechanism for

> the pathogenesis of autism, but previous research has focused on

> immunological measures made outside the brain. In this study, the

> authors analysed pathological changes in brain tissues from 7 healthy

> controls and 11 patients with autism. They found that, compared with

> brain tissues from the healthy controls, tissues from the patients

> with autism showed extensive neuroglial responses in the frontal

> cortex, cingulate gyrus and cerebellum. These responses are

> characterized by activation of microglia and astroglia, which are the

> only immune-competent cells in the nervous system and are important in

> both innate and adaptive immune responses.

>

> As there was no indication of lymphocyte infiltration or deposits of

> immunoglobulin and complement in the brain tissues of patients with

> autism, the immune activity probably reflects the neuroinflammatory

> reaction associated with the central nervous system's innate immune

> system. Consistent with this view, there was an increase in the

> expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as macrophage

> chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) and transforming growth factor beta1

> (TGFbeta1), in tissue samples from these regions of the brains of

> patients with autism. Astroglia and, to a lesser degree, microglia,

> seemed to be the main sources of cytokine production.

>

> These are interesting findings, but immune activity in living patients

> cannot be detected in this way. The authors reasoned that if there is

> an ongoing inflammatory reaction in the brains of patients with

> autism, their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) might also contain those

> cytokines. They investigated the immune system of six living patients

> with autism by measuring the levels of cytokines in their CSF. They

> found that there was a significant increase in the levels of MCP1 and

> other cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma, in the

> CSF of patients with autism, whereas the expression of TGFbeta1 was

> comparable to that of controls.

>

> Whether these cytokines serve as direct effectors of injury or as

> neuroprotectants to repair damage has still to be determined. However,

> these findings have important implications for understanding the

> pathogenesis of autism and might assist in the diagnosis of this

> condition.

>

>

> Links

>

>

> WEB SITE

>

> * Pardo's laboratory <http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/neuroimmunopath>

>

> Top of page

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598.html#top>

>

>

> References and links

>

>

> ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

>

> 1.

>

> Vargas, D. L. /et al/. Neuroglial activation and

> neuroinflammation in the brain of patients with autism. ls

> Neurol. 15 November 2004 (10.1002/ana.20315)

>

>

> FURTHER READING

>

> 1.

>

> Folstein, S. E. & Rosen-Sheidley, B. Genetics of autism: complex

> aetiology for a heterogeneous disorder. Nature Rev. Genet. 2,

> 943–955 (2001)

>

> * Article <http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/35103559>

>

> Top of page

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598.html#top>

>

>

> MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

>

> These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

>

>

> NEWS AND VIEWS

>

> L-DOPA, dyskinesia and striatal plasticity

> <http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/nn0503-437>

>

> Nature Neuroscience News and Views (01 May 2003)

>

> * Previous article

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1597.html>

> * Next article

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1587.html>

>

>

> Main navigation

>

> *

>

>

> Journal content

>

> * Journal home <http://www.nature.com/nrn/index.html>

> * Advance online publication

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html>

> * Current issue <http://www.nature.com/nrn/current_issue>

> * Archive <http://www.nature.com/nrn/archive/index.html>

> * Web Focuses <http://www.nature.com/nrn/focus/index.html>

> * Article Series <http://www.nature.com/nrn/series/index.html>

> * Podcasts <http://www.nature.com/nrn/podcasts/index.html>

> * Posters <http://www.nature.com/nrn/posters/index.html>

>

> *

>

>

> Journal information

>

> * Guide to Nature Reviews Neuroscience

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/info/guide_reviews.html>

> * Online submission <http://mts-nrn.nature.com/>

> * Guidelines for referees

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/info/guide_referees.html>

> * About the journal

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/info/about_journal.html>

> * Subscribe <https://secure.nature.com/subscribe/nrn>

> * Feedback for editors

>

>

> NPG services

>

> * Help

> <http://nature.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nature.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php>

> * Authors and Referees <http://www.nature.com/authors/>

> * Librarian gateway

>

<http://npg.nature.com/npg/servlet/Content?data=xml/07_home.xml & style=xml/07_hom\

e.xsl>

> * Advertising information

> <http://npg.nature.com/media/nature/index.html>

> * work@npg

>

<http://npg.nature.com/npg/servlet/Content?data=xml/03_welcome.xml & style=xml/03_\

jobs.xsl>

> * Reprints and permissions <http://www.nature.com/reprints/>

>

>

> NPG resources

>

> * Nature Reviews <http://www.nature.com/reviews/index.html>

> * Nature Neuroscience <http://www.nature.com/neuro/>

> * Nature Medicine <http://www.nature.com/nm/>

> * Nature Cell Biology <http://www.nature.com/ncb/>

> * Nature Reviews Drug Discovery <http://www.nature.com/nrd/>

> * Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology <http://www.nature.com/nrm/>

> * Neuroscience Gateway <http://www.neuroscience-gateway.org>

> * Nature Reports Stem Cells <http://www.nature.com/stemcells/>

>

>

> NPG Journals

>

>

> by Subject Area

>

> *

>

>

> Chemistry

>

> o Chemistry <http://www.nature.com/chemistry/index.html>

> o Drug discovery <http://www.nature.com/drugdisc/index.html>

> o Biotechnology <http://www.nature.com/biotech/index.html>

> o Materials <http://www.nature.com/materials/index.html>

> o Methods & Protocols

> <http://www.nature.com/protometh/index.html>

> *

>

>

> Clinical Practice & Research

>

> o Cancer <http://www.nature.com/cancer/index.html>

> o Cardiovascular medicine

> <http://www.nature.com/cardio/index.html>

> o Dentistry <http://www.nature.com/dentistry/index.html>

> o Endocrinology <http://www.nature.com/endocrinology/index.html>

> o Gastroenterology & Hepatology

> <http://www.nature.com/gastrohep/index.html>

> o Methods & Protocols

> <http://www.nature.com/protometh/index.html>

> o Pathology & Pathobiology

> <http://www.nature.com/pathology/index.html>

> o Urology <http://www.nature.com/urology/index.html>

> *

>

>

> Earth & Environment

>

> o Earth sciences

> <http://www.nature.com/earthsciences/index.html>

> o Evolution & Ecology <http://www.nature.com/evoeco/index.html>

> *

>

>

> Life sciences

>

> o Biotechnology <http://www.nature.com/biotech/index.html>

> o Cancer <http://www.nature.com/cancer/index.html>

> o Development <http://www.nature.com/development/index.html>

> o Drug discovery <http://www.nature.com/drugdisc/index.html>

> o Evolution & Ecology <http://www.nature.com/evoeco/index.html>

> o Genetics <http://www.nature.com/genetics/index.html>

> o Immunology <http://www.nature.com/immuno/index.html>

> o Medical research

> <http://www.nature.com/medicalresearch/index.html>

> o Methods & Protocols

> <http://www.nature.com/protometh/index.html>

> o Microbiology <http://www.nature.com/micro/index.html>

> o Molecular cell biology

> <http://www.nature.com/molcellbio/index.html>

> o Neuroscience <http://www.nature.com/neurosci/index.html>

> o Pharmacology <http://www.nature.com/pharma/index.html>

> o Systems biology <http://www.nature.com/sysbio/index.html>

> *

>

>

> Physical sciences

>

> o Physics <http://www.nature.com/physics/index.html>

> o Materials <http://www.nature.com/materials/index.html>

>

>

> by A - Z Index <http://www.nature.com/siteindex/index.html>

>

>

> Extra navigation

>

>

> Subscribe

>

> Subscribe to Nature Reviews Neuroscience

>

>

> This issue

>

> * Table of contents <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1>

> * Previous article

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1597.html>

> * Next article

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1587.html>

>

>

> Article tools

>

> * Download PDF

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/pdf/nrn1598.pdf>

> * Send to a friend

>

<http://www.nature.com/foxtrot/svc/mailform?file=/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598\

..html>

> * Export citation

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/ris/nrn1598.ris>

> * Export references

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/ris/nrn1598refs.ris>

> * Rights and permissions

>

<https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=NPG & publication=Nat\

ure%20Reviews%20Neuroscience & title=A%20new%20dimension%20of%20autism & author=Jane\

%20Qiu%20 & contentID=10.1038/nrn1598 & publicationDate=01/01/2005 & volumeNum=6 & issue\

Num=1 & numPages=1 & pageNumbers=pp9>

> * Order commercial reprints

>

<https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=NPGR & publication=Na\

ture%20Reviews%20Neuroscience & title=A%20new%20dimension%20of%20autism & author=Jan\

e%20Qiu%20%20 & contentID=10.1038/nrn1598 & publicationDate=01/01/2005 & volumeNum=6 & i\

ssueNum=1 & numPages=1 & pageNumbers=pp9 & orderBeanReset=true>

> * Bookmark in Connotea

>

<http://www.connotea.org/add?uri=http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nr\

n1598.html>

>

>

> Article navigation

>

> * Links

> <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598.html#links>

> * References

>

<http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598.html#references-links>

>

>

> nature jobs <http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/>

>

> *

>

>

> Clinical Associate Professor

> <http://nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/72880>

>

> o The University of Nottingham

> o Nottingham United Kingdom

> *

>

>

> Tenure Track Neuroscience Faculty Position in Synapse

> Function <http://nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/73620>

>

> o BCM

> o Houston, TX, 77030 United States

>

> More science jobs <http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs>

> Post a job for free <http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/new>

>

>

> nature products <http://www.biocompare.com/nature/>

>

> enter buyers guide search text here

>

> Advertisement

>

> Click here

>

<http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/375b/0/0/%2a/q;208503635;0-0;0;12166331;23\

21-160/600;28730114/28747993/1;;%7Esscs=%3fhttp://www.nature.com/nature/suppleme\

nts/insights/neuropsychiatric_disease/index.html>

>

> Top <http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v6/n1/full/nrn1598.html#top>

>

> Nature Reviews Neuroscience

>

> ISSN: 1471-003X

>

> EISSN: 1471-0048

>

> * About NPG <http://www.nature.com/npg/>

> * Contact NPG <http://www.nature.com/npg_/contact/>

> * Nature jobs.com <http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/>

> * Privacy policy <http://www.nature.com/info/privacy.html>

> * Legal notice <http://www.nature.com/info/legal_notice.html>

> * Accessibility statement

> <http://www.nature.com/info/accessibility_statement.html>

> * RSS web feeds <http://www.nature.com/webfeeds/>

> * Help <http://www.nature.com/help/>

>

> © 2008 Nature Publishing Group

> <http://www.nature.com/info/copyright_statement.html> – partner of

> AGORA, HINARI, CrossRef and COUNTER

> <http://www.nature.com/info/partners.html>

>