Immune transcriptome alterations in the temporal cortex of subjects with autism

Krassimira Garbett; Philip J. Ebert; Amanda Mitchell; Carla Lintas; Barbara Manzi; Károly Mirnics; Antonio M. Persico

Neurobiology of Disease (Jun 2008)

Immune transcriptome alterations in the temporal cortex of subjects with autism

Krassimira Garbett,
Philip J. Ebert,
Amanda Mitchell,
Carla Lintas,
Barbara Manzi,
Károly Mirnics,
Antonio M. Persico

Affiliations

Krassimira Garbett: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
Philip J. Ebert: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
Amanda Mitchell: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
Carla Lintas: Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University “Campus Bio-Medico”, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. “Fondazione Santa Lucia”, Rome, Italy
Barbara Manzi: Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, University “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
Károly Mirnics: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA; Corresponding authors. K. Mirnics is to be contacted at Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 8130A MRB III, 465 21st Avenue South, Nashville TN 37203, USA. A.M. Persico, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University “Campus Bio-Medico”, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, I-00128 Rome, Italy
Antonio M. Persico: Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University “Campus Bio-Medico”, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. “Fondazione Santa Lucia”, Rome, Italy; Corresponding authors. K. Mirnics is to be contacted at Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 8130A MRB III, 465 21st Avenue South, Nashville TN 37203, USA. A.M. Persico, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University “Campus Bio-Medico”, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, I-00128 Rome, Italy

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 30, no. 3
pp. 303 – 311

Abstract

Read online

Autism is a severe disorder that involves both genetic and environmental factors. Expression profiling of the superior temporal gyrus of six autistic subjects and matched controls revealed increased transcript levels of many immune system-related genes. We also noticed changes in transcripts related to cell communication, differentiation, cell cycle regulation and chaperone systems. Critical expression changes were confirmed by qPCR (BCL6, CHI3L1, CYR61, IFI16, IFITM3, MAP2K3, PTDSR, RFX4, SPP1, RELN, NOTCH2, RIT1, SFN, GADD45B, HSPA6, HSPB8 and SERPINH1). Overall, these expression patterns appear to be more associated with the late recovery phase of autoimmune brain disorders, than with the innate immune response characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, a variance-based analysis revealed much greater transcript variability in brains from autistic subjects compared to the control group, suggesting that these genes may represent autism susceptibility genes and should be assessed in follow-up genetic studies.

Published in Neurobiology of Disease

ISSN: 0969-9961 (Print); 1095-953X (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neurobiology-of-disease

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords