What are the Functions of the Neuroantigens that are Being Destroyed by the Maternal Antibodies? 243monkeys can contribute to a higher percentage of ASD and that, when it comes
to assessing behavior, combinations of these neuroantigens play a key role in
behavioral activity [18–20]. Gender differences were also evident. Within vari
ous male groups, a significant difference in growth rate in fetal brain develop
ment was observed as compared with females. The unanswered question is
why do certain mothers develop the antibodies to fetal brain antigens in the
first place? We believe that this may be the result of leakage of developing fetal
brain neuroantigens into the maternal blood circulation; initiating humoral
immune responses to these antigens, after a synthetic or other type of insult
(see below) that a fetal brain suffers. As mentioned above, since the brain is a
privileged site in mammals, the leaked fetal brain antigens would be recog
nized as foreign by the maternal immune system and subsequently affect fetal
brain development. We would like to point out that our studies, shown
throughout this book, have shown that oxytocin and AVP receptors are also
severely damaged and have molecular weights that are close to fetal brain neu
roantigens located within the 37‐ and 73‐kDa molecular weight bands. For
example, the oxytocin receptor is composed of 389 amino acids and has molec
ular weight of 43 kDa. Similarly, several of the AVP receptors in the human
fetal brain range from 34, 41 and 47 kDa. The potential presence of neuroanti
bodies to these antigens is under investigation in our research laboratory.
Further studies by Braunschweig et al. [18], where they analyzed the banked
mid‐pregnancy blood samples also observed that maternal autoantibody
binding to neuroantigens near 37 and 73 kDa was only found in women whose
children later received a diagnosis of ASD. Surprisingly, all the aforemen
tioned reports were unable to find a correlation between a family history of
autoimmunity and the presence of maternal neuroantibodies.
What are the Functions of the Neuroantigens that are
Being Destroyed by the Maternal Antibodies?
As mentioned above, Braunschweig et al. [18–20] uncovered several neuroan
tigens against which the mothers with ASD children formed neuroantibodies
(i.e., LDH, YBX1, cypin, STIP1, CRMP1, and CRMP2). So, what are these anti
gens and what do they really do? How would a fetal brain be harmed by these
antibodies? Do they affect the behavior of children exposed to these neuroan
tibodies during their fetal development? In one of their research studies, they
were able to link the neuroantibodies against LDH, YBX1, cypin, STIP1,
CRMP1, and CRMP2 with lower expressive language scores in the children
whose mothers had antibodies to these neuroantigens. Furthermore, the
absence of these antibodies correlated with development of normal children
(in the control mothers). Most importantly, it was noted in a follow up
study that children born to mothers with this antibody‐binding pattern also