Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Nov:130:167-176.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.013. Epub 2020 Jul 29.

Microglia mediated neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder

Xiaoli Liao  1 , Jiaxin Yang  1 , Huaqin Wang  2 , Yamin Li  3
Affiliations
Review

Microglia mediated neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder

Xiaoli Liao et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Although the precise pathophysiologies underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not yet been fully clarified, growing evidence supports the involvement of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of this disorder, with microglia being particular relevance in the pathophysiologic processes.

Objective: The present review aimed to systematically characterize existing literature regarding the role of microglia mediated neuroinflammation in the etiology of ASD.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for records indexed within Pubmed, EMBASE, or Web of Science to identify potentially eligible publications. Study selection and data extraction were performed by two authors, and the discrepancies in each step were settled through discussions.

Results: A total of 14 studies comprising 1007 subjects met the eligibility criteria for this review, including 8 immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies, 5 genetic analysis studies, and 1 positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Although small in quantity, the included studies collectively pointed to a role of microglia mediated neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of ASD.

Conclusion: Findings generated from this review consistently supported the involvement of neuroinflammation in the development of ASD, confirmed by the activation of microglia in different brain regions, involving increased cell number or cell density, morphological alterations, and phenotypic shifts.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Microglia; Neuroinflammation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles