School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2021 Jan;17(1):27-35. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2020.1850273. Epub 2020 Nov 26.
: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, is characterized by early-onset impairments in social-communication, repetitive behaviors, and restrictive interests.: Although still unknown, there are some pieces of evidence suggesting altered immune function in the etiology of ASD. This review aims to summarize studies linking Natural Killer (NK) cells to ASD by searching through databases like MEDLINE and Scopus up to October 2020. NK cells play important roles in the innate immune system and immune regulation. As parts of the immune system, they interact with the neural system as well. Immune dysregulations such as autoimmunity and improper immune responses to both internal and external stimulations, especially in early developmental stages of the brain, may induce neurodevelopmental disorders. NK cells' dysfunction in children with ASD as well as their parents have been highlighted in many studies.: Changes in the frequency, gene expressions, cytotoxicity features, and receptors of NK cells are reported in children with ASD. Immune therapy for children with ASD with immune abnormality has shown promising results. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of ASD providing future treatment options for these children.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种广泛的神经发育障碍，其特征是社交沟通、重复行为和狭隘兴趣方面的早期损伤。虽然其病因仍不清楚，但有一些证据表明免疫功能改变与 ASD 有关。本综述通过检索 MEDLINE 和 Scopus 等数据库，搜索截至 2020 年 10 月与 NK 细胞与 ASD 相关的研究，旨在对此进行总结。NK 细胞在先天免疫系统和免疫调节中发挥重要作用。作为免疫系统的一部分，它们也与神经系统相互作用。免疫失调，如自身免疫和对内部和外部刺激的不当免疫反应，特别是在大脑的早期发育阶段，可能会导致神经发育障碍。许多研究都强调了自闭症儿童及其父母的 NK 细胞功能障碍：自闭症儿童的 NK 细胞频率、基因表达、细胞毒性特征和受体发生变化。针对自闭症儿童免疫异常的免疫疗法已显示出良好的效果。然而，仍需要进一步的研究来阐明 NK 细胞在 ASD 发病机制中的确切作用，为这些儿童提供未来的治疗选择。
