Brief Report: “Allergic Symptoms” in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. More than Meets the Eye?

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have either family and/or personal history of “allergic symptomatology”, often in the absence of positive skin or RAST tests. These symptoms may suggest mast cell activation by non-allergic triggers. Moreover, children with mastocytosis or mast cell...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2011-11, Vol.41 (11), p.1579-1585
Main Authors: Angelidou, Asimenia, Alysandratos, Konstantinos-Dionysios, Asadi, Shahrzad, Zhang, Bodi, Francis, Konstantinos, Vasiadi, Magdalini, Kalogeromitros, Dimitrios, Theoharides, Theoharis C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergy
Autism
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Brain - immunology
Brief Report
Child
Child and School Psychology
Child clinical studies
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - immunology
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - psychology
Child Health
Children
Control Groups
Data Analysis
Developmental disorders
Diseases
Humans
Hypersensitivity - complications
Hypersensitivity - immunology
Hypersensitivity - psychology
Incidence
Infantile autism
Mast Cells - immunology
Mastocytosis - complications
Mastocytosis - immunology
Mastocytosis - psychology
Medical sciences
Neurosciences
Pathology
Pediatrics
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Public Health
Risk Factors
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
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Description
Summary:Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have either family and/or personal history of “allergic symptomatology”, often in the absence of positive skin or RAST tests. These symptoms may suggest mast cell activation by non-allergic triggers. Moreover, children with mastocytosis or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a spectrum of rare diseases characterized by increased number of activated mast cells in many organs, appear to have ASD at a rate tenfold higher (1/10 children) than that of the general population (1/100 children). Mast cell activation by allergic, infectious, environmental and stress-related triggers, especially perinatally, would release pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules. We speculate these could disrupt the gut–blood–brain barriers, thus contributing to brain inflammation and ASD pathogenesis. Increased mast cell responsiveness may define at least a subgroup of ASD subjects, who could benefit from inhibition of mast cell activation.
ISSN:0162-3257
1573-3432
DOI:10.1007/s10803-010-1171-z