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
. 2020 Jan;13(1):18-23.
doi: 10.1002/aur.2205. Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Increased Expression of miR-155p5 in Amygdala of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Khulood Abdullah Almehmadi  1   2   3 , Irene Tsilioni  2 , Theoharis C Theoharides  1   2   4
Affiliations

Increased Expression of miR-155p5 in Amygdala of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Khulood Abdullah Almehmadi et al. Autism Res. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

MiR-155p5 is a pro-inflammatory microRNA reported to be involved in several neurol-inflammatory diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social interactions and communication, as well as stereotypic movements. Inflammation of the brain due to activation of microglia has been reported in ASD. We investigated miR-155p5 gene expression in postmortem human brain tissues [amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regions (DLPFC)]. There was significant increase of miR-155p5 in amygdala (P ≤ 0.0001), but not in DLFC, in ASD children (n = 8) compared to non-ASD (n = 7) controls. The increased gene expression of miR-155p5 in amygdala of children of ASD support the presence of localized inflammation in the brain and indicates miR-155p5 may be targeted for therapy of ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 18-23. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is still unknown. Our data of increased gene expression of miR-155p5 in brains of children with ASD support the presence of localized inflammation in the amygdala and indicates that miR-155p5 may be targeted for therapy of ASD and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: Mir-155; autism spectrum disorder; brain; microRNAs; neuroinflammation.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Amaral, D. G., Bauman, M. D., & Schumann, C. M. (2003). The amygdala and autism: Implications from non-human primate studies. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 2, 295-302.
    1. Ander, B. P., Barger, N., Stamova, B., Sharp, F. R., & Schumann, C. M. (2015). Atypical miRNA expression in temporal cortex associated with dysregulation of immune, cell cycle, and other pathways in autism spectrum disorders. Molecular Autism, 6, 37.
    1. Anitha, A., & Thanseem, I. (2015). microRNA and autism. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 888, 71-83.
    1. Bauman, M. D., Lavenex, P., Mason, W. A., Capitanio, J. P., & Amaral, D. G. (2004). The development of mother-infant interactions after neonatal amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24, 711-721.
    1. Bauman, M. L., & Kemper, T. L. (2003). The neuropathology of the autism spectrum disorders: What have we learned? Novartis Foundation Symposium, 251, 112-122.

Publication types