NEURON-AXON FILAMENT PROTEIN (NAFP)

   Brain autoantibodies to neuron-axon filament protein (anti-NAFP) have been found in autistic children (Singh et al, 1998).

   As an integral component of the cytoskeleton neurofilaments play a central role in the establishment and maintenance of neuronal form.  In hypothyroid rats there is a marked suppression of mabN210-immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum and, to a lesser extent, there is a reduction in staining in the internal capsule. It appears that axons that have attained their mature distribution prior to the onset of thyroid hormone expression are not affected by hypothyroidism whereas mabN210-immunoreactivity is suppressed in those axonal tracts that reach a mature distribution after P4 (Plioplys et al, 1986).

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Plioplys AV, Gravel C, Hawkes R - "Selective suppression of neurofilament antigen expression in the hypothyroid rat cerebral cortex" J Neurol Sci 75(1):53-68 (1986) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=3091774&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r

Singh VK, Lin SX, Yang VC - "Serological association of measles virus and human herpesvirus-6 with brain autoantibodies in autism" Clin Immunol Immunopathol 89(1):105-8 (1998) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9756729&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r