What is the significance of the cerebrospinal fluid findings in autistic patients?
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies also confirmed a prominent inflammatory cytokine profile in patients with autism. The presence of a marked increase of MCP-1 in CSF supports the hypothesis that pro-inflammatory pathways are activated in the brain of autistic patients. This increase in MCP-1 may be associated with the mechanisms of macrophage/microglia activation observed in the brain tissue studies. The elevation of MCP-1 in the CSF resembles observations in other conditions in which microglia/macrophage activation is important, such as in HIV dementia and multiple sclerosis, diseases in which neuroinflammation plays a prominent role. In addition to the marked elevation in MCP-1, the presence of elevated levels of IFN?, IL-8, IP-10, angiogenin and LIF strongly supports the view that active neuroinflammatory reactions and a network of multiple cytokines are likely involved in immune-mediated mechanisms in the CNS of autistic patients. These cytokines play important roles in immune medi
