Antibodies against fetal brain in sera of mothers with autistic children
Abstract
Serum antibodies in 100 mothers of children with autistic disorder (MCAD) were compared to 100 age-matched mothers with unaffected children (MUC) using as antigenic substrates human and rodent fetal and adult brain tissues, GFAP, and MBP. MCAD had significantly more individuals with Western immunoblot bands at 36 kDa in human fetal and rodent embryonic brain tissue. The density of bands was greater in fetal brain at 61 kDa. MCAD plus developmental regression had greater reactivity against human fetal brain at 36 and 39 kDa. Data support a possible complex association between genetic/metabolic/environmental factors and the placental transfer of maternal antibodies in autism.
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Singer et al. found higher rates of anti-fetal brain antibodies in 100 mothers of children with autism compared with 100 control mothers, with targets at 73 kDa and 36 kDa and other brain-region-specific targets.
“Another study published that year looked at serum from 100 mothers of children with autism, again finding higher rates of anti-fetal brain antibodies as compared with 100 control mothers”
From The Role of the Immune System in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2017) · cites this paper as Singer et al, 2008
Evidence strongly supports distinct roles for both maternal and patient autoantibodies in ASD, including an ability to affect structural brain development.
“The evidence strongly supports distinct roles for both maternal (Braunschweig et al, 2008;Croen et al, 2008b;Singer et al, 2008;Zimmerman et al, 2007) and patient (Henneberg et al, 1994;Libbey and Fujinami, 2010;Ryberg, 1982) autoantibodies in ASD, including an ability to affect structural brain development (Nordahl et al, 2013;Rossi et al, 2011).”
From The Role of the Immune System in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2017) · cites this paper as Singer et al, 2008
Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies against fetal brain proteins has been implicated in autism.
“Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies against fetal brain proteins has been implicated in autism [40, 328]”
From Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models (2017) · cites this paper as [328]
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- Authors
- Singer, H. S., Morris, C. M., Gause, C. D., Gillin, P. K., Crawford, S., & Zimmerman, A. W.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Kennedy Krieger Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Singer, Harvey S.
- Venue
- Journal of Neuroimmunology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-02
- Volume
- 194
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 165-172
- ISSN
- 0165-5728 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2117086716
- Cited by
- 152
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 6.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroimmunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, maternal antibodies, fetal brain, maternal-fetal immune transfer, developmental regression, glial fibrillary acidic protein, myelin basic protein, placental transfer
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Animals, Antibodies, Heterophile, Autistic Disorder, Autoantibodies, Birth Order, Brain, Myelin Basic Protein, Female, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Isoantibodies, Isoantigens, Male, Maternal-Fetal Exchange, Middle Aged, Mothers, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neurons, Parity, Pregnancy, Species Specificity, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Rats
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