89198
document
Opioid-immune interactions in autism : behavioural and immunological assessment during a double-blind treatment with naltrexone . The emerging concept of opioid peptides as a new class of chemical messengers of the neuroimmune axis and the presence of a number of immunological abnormalities in infantile autism prompted us to correlate biological ( hormonal and immunological ) determinations and behavioural performances during treatment with the potent opiate antagonist , naltrexone ( NAL ) . Twelve autistic patients ranging from 7 to 15 years , diagnosed according to DSM-III-R , entered a double-blind crossover study with NAL at the doses of 0.5 , 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg every 48 hours . The behavioural evaluation was conducted using the specific BSE and CARS rating scales NAL treatment produced a significant reduction of the autistic symptomatology in seven ( " responders " ) out of 12 children . The behavioural improvement was accompanied by alterations in the distribution of the major lymphocyte subsets , with a significant increase of the T-helper-inducers ( CD4+CD8- ) and a significant reduction of the T-cytotoxic-suppressor ( CD4-CD8+ ) resulting in a normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio . Changes in natural killer cells and activity were inversely related to plasma beta-endorphin levels . It is suggested that the mechanisms underlying opioid-immune interactions are altered in this population of autistic children and that an immunological screening may have prognostic value for the pharmacological therapy with opiate antagonists .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
naltrexone
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Intervention_Pharmacological
naltrexone ( NAL )
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Intervention_Pharmacological
NAL
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Intervention_Other
BSE
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Intervention_Other
CARS rating scales
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Intervention_Pharmacological
NAL
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Intervention_Pharmacological
opiate antagonists
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Outcome_Mental
BSE and CARS rating scales
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Outcome_Mental
autistic symptomatology
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Outcome_Physical
T-helper-inducers ( CD4+CD8- )
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Outcome_Physical
T-cytotoxic-suppressor ( CD4-CD8+ )
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Outcome_Physical
CD4/CD8 ratio .
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Outcome_Physical
natural killer cells and activity
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Sample-size
Twelve
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Participant_Condition
autistic
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Participant_Age
7 to 15 years
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autistic
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Participant_Age
children