Association of immune abnormalities with symptom severity in Egyptian autistic children

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered a spectrum of behavioral anomalies described by having impaired social interaction and communication. It is usually accompanied by repetitive and stereotyped behavior. ASD likely develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Among suggestions, one has been persistently proposed where an immune dysfunction was related to certain forms of ASD. Growing evidence of autoimmune phenomena in patients with ASD may represent the occurrence of changed or perhaps unsuitable immune responses in this disorder. Objectives This study was aimed to evaluate cell-mediated as well as humoral immunity in children with ASD. This was through evaluation of lymphocyte count (CD3, CD16, and CD19) and estimation of the serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, and IgA). Patients and methods This study was carried out in the National Research Centre. A total of 50 newly diagnosed children with ASD were included (33 males and 17 females), with an age range from 3 to 8 years, in addition to 50 apparently healthy age-matched and sex-matched participants as a control group. CD3, CD16, and CD19 were estimated using flow cytometry. Serum Ig levels were measured using immunonephelometry. Results and conclusion The study results revealed that children with autism had significantly lower CD19 in comparison with the control group (P<0.001). Autistic children also had considerably higher numbers of CD16 (P<0.001) and significant increased absolute lymphocyte count (P=0.034) in comparison with healthy controls. CD3% and absolute CD16 count were significantly positive correlated with Childhood Autism Rating Scale score in children with ASD (P=0.004 and 0.025, respectively). An increased total lymphocyte and natural killer cell count together with decreased B lymphocyte count and positive correlations in CD3 and absolute CD16 count with Childhood Autism Rating Scale score in participants with ASD revealed the impaired cell-mediated immunity in participants with ASD, and these tests might be useful as diagnostic markers for ASD and its degree of severity.