Immune Dysregulation Found in Cord Blood Associated with Autism Risk
A new MIND Institute study has examined cytokine levels in cord blood (CB) to investigate their relationship with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk, using data from the MARBLES study.
Yogurt Improves Gut Barrier Function
Many individuals with autism have gastrointestinal issues which involve a “leaky gut”, or permeability of the gastrointestinal tract lining. The permeability allows substances to enter the bloodstream such as the inflammatory cytokine, soluble CD14, which is a marker of gut hyperpermeability.
Potential Anti-inflammatory Treatment for Autism
A team of researchers led by Dr. Theoharis Theoharides has shown that IL-37 is increased along with the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and its receptor IL-18R, in the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of children with ASD. Moreover, IL-37 inhibits neurotensin-stimulated secretion and gene expression of IL-1β and CXCL8 from cultured human microglia. 24 These results suggest that the gene for IL-37 is activated in an effort to contain the inflammation in the amygdala, but the protein is either not produced or not made in sufficient amount to reduce the inflammation sufficiently.
