Is the elevation of MCP-1 unique to autism?
No. Our observations resemble findings in other neurological disorders in which elevation of MCP-1 is associated with the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. These diseases include HIV dementia, ALS, stroke and multiple sclerosis. It remains unclear whether MCP-1 plays multiple roles in the CNS or whether its presence is only associated with inflammatory conditions. It has been speculated that MCP-1 may be involved in neuronal survival and brain protection mechanisms in addition to monocyte activation and trafficking or even in non-lymphocytic-mediated neuronal injury. Expression of MCP-1 in the CNS appears to be developmentally regulated, and previous studies have shown its expression in the cerebellum during prenatal development, a finding that may suggest an association with maturation of Purkinje cells. Like MHC-class II expression in microglia during CNS modeling, MCP-1 elevation in the brain of autistic patients may reflect persistent fetal patterns of brain de
