Maternal immune activation and risk of autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) etiology has been related whit complex interaction between ge-netic and environmental factors. In the last years, numerous studies have suggested that maternal immune activation during pregnancy could be related to ASD in the offspring. This relation could be explained by the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, autoantibodies and microglial synap-tic pruning during early embryonic development. Better understanding of Neurodevelopmental Disorders risk factors will support appropriate strategies of screening and management of risk population.