Autism spectrum disorders are associated with an elevated autoantibody response to tissue transglutaminase-2

Allen Rosenspire, Wonsuk Yoo, Sherri Menard, Anthony R. Torres

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report that a significant number of autistic children have serum levels of IgA antibodies above normal to the enzyme tissue transglutaminase II (TG2), and that expression of these antibodies to TG2 is linked to the (HLA)-DR3, DQ2 and DR7, DQ2 haplotypes. TG2 is expressed in the brain, where it has been shown to be important in cell adhesion and synaptic stabilization. Thus, these children appear to constitute a subpopulation of autistic children who fall within the autism disease spectrum, and for whom autoimmunity may represent a significant etiological component of their autism.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)242-249
Number of pages8
JournalAutism Research
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2011

Keywords

  • Anti-transglutaminase antibody
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Genetics(clinical)

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