GLIAL FIBRILLARY ACIDIC PROTEIN IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND OTHER NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 47 children and adolescents with auti sm was analyzed for the contents of two astroglial proteins, the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFA) and S 100. The results were contraste d with those obtained in similarly aged cases with other neuropsychiat ric disorders (n = 25) and in normal children (n = 10). S-100 did not discriminate the groups from each other. However, GFA in autism and au tisticlike conditions was at a level almost three times that in the no rmal group. The results could implicate gliosis and unspecific brain d amage in autism. An alternative model would be increased synapse turno ver regardless of underlying cause.