An emerging area of research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the role of prenatal exposure to inflammatory mediators during critical developmental periods. Epidemiological data has highlighted this relationship showing significant correlations between prenatal exposure to pathogens, including influenza, and the occurrence of ASD. Although there has not been a definitive molecular mechanism established, researchers have begun to investigate this relationship as animal models of maternal infection have support- ed epidemiological findings. Several groups utilizing these animal models have found that activation of the maternal immune system, termed maternal immune activation (MIA), and more specifically the exposure of the developing fetus to maternal cytokines precipitate the neurological, immunological and behavioral abnormalities observed in the offspring of these animals. These abnormalities have correlated with clinical findings of immune dysregulation, neurological and behavioral abnormalities in some autistic individuals. Additionally, researchers have observed genetic variations in these models in genes which regulate neurological and immunological development, similar to what is observed clinically in ASD. Altogether, the role of MIA and cytokine dysregulation, as a key mediator in the neuropathological, behavioral and possibly genetic irregularities observed clinically in autism are important factors that warrant further investigation.

The sudden, acute onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms, high frequency of comorbidities (i.e., anxiety, behavioral regression, depression, and suicidality), and poor quality of life capture the PANS subgroup as suddenly and severely impaired youth. Identifying clinical characteristics of youth with PANS will allow clinicians to diagnose and treat this subtype of OCD with a more strategized and effective approach.

This study serves as the first survey of its size to provide insight into the global clinical picture and range of phenotypes of PANS patients. Significant results included the impact of gender and pubertal status on phenotype, affirmation of the role of the immune system in PANS pathology, and the role of timely resolution of infection in clinical outcomes. Understanding how PANS presents in a broad population-based sample, within the limitations of a self-selected and administered online survey, is an important step toward improving diagnosis, creating more targeted treatment options, educating the clinical and research community, and generating hypotheses for future prospective research.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) can affect fetal brain development and thus behavior of young and adult offspring. Reports have shown that increased Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the maternal serum plays a key role in altering fetal brain development, and may impair social behaviors in the offspring. Interestingly, these effects could be attenuated by blocking IL-6. The current study investigated the effects of luteolin, a citrus bioflavonoid, and its structural analog, diosmin, on IL-6 induced JAK2/STAT3 (Janus tyrosine kinase-2/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) phosphorylation and signaling as well as behavioral phenotypes of MIA offspring. Luteolin and diosmin inhibited neuronal JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo following IL-6 challenge as well as significantly diminishing behavioral deficits in social interaction. Importantly, our results showed that diosmin (10 mg/kg day) was able to block the STAT3 signal pathway; significantly opposing MIA-induced abnormal behavior and neuropathological abnormalities in MIA/adult offspring. Diosmin’s molecular inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 pathway may underlie the attenuation of abnormal social interaction in IL-6/MIA adult offspring.

Background In children presenting with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tics, especially those with a temporal association with streptococcal pharyngitis (e.g., PANDAS; Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus), there is speculation about whether tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy might improve the child’s neuropsychiatric course. Our objective was to examine whether removal of tonsils and/or adenoids impacted streptococcal antibody titers, the timing of onset of OCD and/or tics, and the clinical severity of these symptoms. Methods Study participants (n=112; average age=9.2 ± 2.4; 44 female) were recruited as part of a prospective investigation of neuropsychiatric phenomena with temporal association to streptococcal pharyngitis and examined by family history, diagnostic interview, physical examination, medical record review, psychological testing, and streptococcal antibodies and divided into surgical or non-surgery groups. The surgical group consisted of children having previously had a tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (n=32). The remaining children were categorized as non-surgery (N=76). Measures of OCD and tic severity, streptococcal antibody titers, and PANDAS classification were compared between both groups. Results There were no significant differences as determined by streptococcal antibody titers, PANDAS classification, and OCD or tic severity between the surgical and non-surgery groups. Most participants had surgery before onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms and surgery did not affect symptomology. Conclusions Streptococcal antibodies and neuropsychiatric symptom severity did not differ on the basis of surgical status. From these data we cannot support that tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are likely to impact positively the course of OCD/tics or streptococcal antibody concentrations.