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Updated: May 15, 2026
Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using Poly(I:C) to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
Elevated maternal C-reactive protein and autism in a national birth cohort
A S Brown1, A Sourander2, S Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki3
11] Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA [2] Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
Maternal inflammation during pregnancy, indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, is linked to an increased risk of childhood autism. This suggests inflammation may play a key role in autism development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Genetics
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with largely unknown causes.
- Maternal inflammation during pregnancy is hypothesized as a potential risk factor for ASD.
- C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-established biomarker for systemic inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early gestational maternal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the risk of childhood autism.
- To explore maternal inflammation as a potential pathway influencing ASD etiology.
Main Methods:
- Prospective analysis of maternal serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in a large Finnish national birth cohort (N=1.2 million).
- Utilized national psychiatric registries for autism case ascertainment.
- Examined the association between CRP levels (continuous variable) and autism diagnosis in offspring.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between increasing maternal CRP levels and the risk of autism in offspring.
- Mothers in the highest CRP quintile had a 43% elevated risk of having a child with autism compared to those in the lowest quintile.
- This association remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders.
Conclusions:
- Maternal inflammation during early gestation, as indicated by CRP levels, is significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood autism.
- These findings support the role of maternal inflammation in the pathogenesis of autism.
- Implications for potential preventive strategies and understanding neurodevelopmental disorders are discussed.
Abstract:
Autism is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome with a largely unknown etiology. Inflammation during pregnancy may represent a common pathway by which infections and other insults increase risk for the disorder. Hence, we investigated the association between early gestational C-reactive protein (CRP), an established inflammatory biomarker, prospectively assayed in maternal sera, and childhood autism in a large national birth cohort with an extensive serum biobank. Other strengths of the cohort included nearly complete ascertainment of pregnancies in Finland (N=1.2 million) over the study period and national psychiatric registries consisting of virtually all treated autism cases in the population. Increasing maternal CRP levels, classified as a continuous variable, were significantly associated with autism in offspring. For maternal CRP levels in the highest quintile, compared with the lowest quintile, there was a significant, 43% elevated risk. This finding suggests that maternal inflammation may have a significant role in autism, with possible implications for identifying preventive strategies and pathogenic mechanisms in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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