Genes involved in immune system function have atypical expression patterns in the brains of people with some neurological and psychiatric conditions, including autism, according to a new study of thousands of postmortem brain samples.
Of the 1,275 immune genes studied, 765—60 percent—showed elevated or reduced expression in the brains of adults with one of six conditions: autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. The expression patterns varied by condition, suggesting that there are distinct “signatures” for each one, says lead researcher Chunyu Liu, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.
The expression of immune genes could potentially serve as a marker for inflammation, Liu says. Such immune activation—particularly while in utero—has been associated with autism, though the mechanisms are far from clear.
“My impression is the immune system is not really a very minor player in brain disorders,” Liu says. ...
