Clinical and autoimmune features of a patient with autism spectrum disorder seropositive for anti-NMDA-receptor autoantibody.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by dysfunctions in social interactions resulting from a complex interplay between immunogenetic and environmental risk factors. Autoimmunity has been proposed as a major etiological component of ASD. Whether specific autoantibodies directed against brain targets are involved in ASD remains an open question. Here, we identified within a cohort an ASD patient with multiple circulating autoantibodies, including the well-characterized one against glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR-Ab). The patient exhibited alexithymia and previously suffered from two major depressive episodes without psychotic symptoms. Using a single molecule-based imaging approach, we demonstrate that neither NMDAR-Ab type G immunoglobulin purified from the ASD patient serum, nor that from a seropositive healthy subject, disorganize membrane NMDAR complexes at synapses. These findings suggest that the autistic patient NMDAR-Abs do not play a direct role in the etiology of ASD and that other autoantibodies directed against neuronal targets should be investigated.

• Authors: Hélène Gréa, Isabelle Scheid, Alexandru Gaman, Véronique Rogemond, Sandy Gillet, Jérôme Honnorat, Federico Bolognani, Christian Czech, Céline Bouquet, Elie Toledano, Manuel Bouvard, Richard Delorme, Laurent Groc, Marion Leboyer
• Journal: Dialogues in clinical neuroscience (Dialogues Clin Neurosci) Vol. 19 Issue 1 Pg. 65-70 (03 2017) ISSN: 1958-5969 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 28566948 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate

Topics

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (blood, immunology)
• Autoantibodies (blood)
• Autoimmune Diseases (blood, immunology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (antagonists & inhibitors, immunology)