T cell populations in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-morbid gastrointestinal symptoms

Destanie R Rose; Houa Yang; Milo Careaga; Kathy Angkustsiri; Judy Van de Water; Paul Ashwood

doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100042

T cell populations in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-morbid gastrointestinal symptoms

Brain Behav Immun Health. 2020 Jan 26:2:100042. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100042. eCollection 2020 Feb.

Authors

Destanie R Rose^{1

2}, Houa Yang^{1

2}, Milo Careaga^{1

2}, Kathy Angkustsiri^{2

3

4}, Judy Van de Water^{2

4

5}, Paul Ashwood^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
² MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis, CA, USA.
⁴ Children's Center for Environmental Health, University of California Davis, CA, USA.
⁵ Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, CA, USA.
⁶ Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, CA, USA.

Abstract

Children with ASD are more likely to experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms than typically-developed children. Numerous studies have reported immune abnormalities and inflammatory profiles in the majority of individuals with ASD. Immune dysfunction is often hypothesized as a driving factor in many GI diseases and it has been suggested that it is more apparent in children with ASD that exhibit GI symptoms. In this study we sought to characterize peripheral T cell subsets in children with and without GI symptoms, compared to healthy typically-developing children. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from participants, who were categorized into three groups: children with ASD who experience GI symptoms (n = 14), children with ASD who do not experience GI symptoms (n = 10) and typically-developing children who do not experience GI symptoms (n = 15). In order to be included in the GI group, GI symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and/or pain while defecating, had to be present in the child regularly for the past 6 months; likewise, in order to be placed in the no GI groups, bowel movements could not include the above symptoms present throughout development. Cells were assessed for surface markers and intracellular cytokines to identify T cell populations. Children with ASD and GI symptoms displayed elevated T_H17 populations (0.757% ± 0.313% compared to 0.297% ± 0.197), while children with ASD who did not experience GI symptoms showed increased frequency of T_H2 populations (2.02% ± 1.08% compared to 1.01% ± 0.58%). Both ASD groups showed evidence of reduced gut homing regulatory T cell populations compared to typically developing children (ASD^GI:1.93% ± 0.75% and ASD^NoGI:1.85% ± 0.89 compared to 2.93% ± 1.16%). Children with ASD may have deficits in immune regulation that lead to differential inflammatory T cell subsets that could be linked to associated co-morbidities.

Keywords: ASD; Autism; Cytokines; Gastrointestinal; Immune; Mucosal immunity; Regulatory T-cells; TH17; TH2.

Abstract

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