Chez Michael G, Dowling Tim, Patel Pikul B, Khanna Pavan, Kominsky Matt
Department of Neurology, Rosalind Franklin University, and the Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL, USA.
Pediatr Neurol. 2007 Jun;36(6):361-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2007.01.012.
Recent reports implicating elevated cytokines in the central nervous system in a small number of patients studied with autism have reported clinical regression. These studies have not focused on tumor necrosis factor-alpha as a possible marker for inflammatory damage. A series of 10 children with autism had clinical evaluation of their serum and spinal fluid for inflammatory changes and possible metabolic disease as part of their neurological evaluation. Elevation of cerebrospinal fluid levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was significantly higher (mean = 104.10 pg/mL) than concurrent serum levels (mean = 2.78 pg/mL) in all of the patients studied. The ratio of the cerebrospinal fluid levels to serum levels averaged 53.7:1. This ratio is significantly higher than the elevations reported for other pathological states for which cerebrospinal fluid and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels have been simultaneously measured. This observation may offer a unique insight into central nervous system inflammatory mechanisms that may contribute to the onset of autism and may serve as a potential clinical marker. More controlled study of this potentially important observation may prove valuable.
最近有报告称，在少数针对自闭症患者的研究中，中枢神经系统中细胞因子水平升高与临床退行有关。这些研究并未将肿瘤坏死因子-α作为炎症损伤的可能标志物。作为神经学评估的一部分，对10名自闭症儿童进行了一系列研究，检测他们血清和脑脊液中的炎症变化及可能存在的代谢疾病。在所有研究患者中，脑脊液中肿瘤坏死因子-α水平（平均 = 104.10 pg/mL）显著高于同期血清水平（平均 = 2.78 pg/mL）。脑脊液水平与血清水平的比值平均为53.7:1。该比值显著高于同时测量脑脊液和血清肿瘤坏死因子-α水平的其他病理状态所报告的升高值。这一观察结果可能为中枢神经系统炎症机制提供独特见解，这些机制可能导致自闭症的发病，并且可能作为一种潜在的临床标志物。对这一潜在重要观察结果进行更多对照研究可能会有价值。
