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Dysregulated Innate Immune Responses in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Their Relationship to Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Dietary Intervention.

Jyonouchi H, Geng L, Ruby A, Zimmerman-Bier B.

Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark, N.J., USA.

Autism researchers at the University of New Jersey Medical School in the US have confirmed the original findings of researchers from the UK, by finding evidence of marked inflammatory and immune abnormalities in children with autism associated with gastrointestinal symptoms.

The study compared the production of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules by immune cells in autistic children on unrestricted (n = 100) or elimination (n = 77) diets with developmentally normal children with non-allergic food hypersensitivity on unrestricted (n = 14) or elimination (n = 16) diets, and healthy typically developing children.

In response to challenge with bacterial toxins or dietary proteins from cow’s milk, immune cells from autistic children with bowel symptoms showed a strong pro-inflammatory response and a reduced ability to switch off immune system activity compared with the other children.
The authors conclude that the findings indicate intrinsic defects of these immune responses in autistic children with intestinal problems, suggesting a possible link between gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms mediated by immune abnormalities.

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