Cytogenetic, Molecular-Cytogenetic, and Clinical-Genealogical Studies of the Mothers of Children with Autism: A Search for Familial Genetic Markers for Autistic Disorders

State-of-the-art cytogenetic and molecular-cytogenetic methods for studying human chromosomes were used to analyze chromosomal anomalies and variants in mothers of children with autistic disorders and the results were compared with clinical-genealogical data. These investigations showed that these mothers, as compared with a control group, showed increases in the frequencies of chromosomal anomalies (mainly mosaic forms involving chromosome X) and chromosomal heteromorphisms. Analysis of correlations of genotypes and phenotypes revealed increases in the frequencies of cognitive impairments and spontaneous abortions in the mothers of children with autism with chromosomal anomalies, as well as increases in the frequencies of mental retardation, death in childhood, and impairments to reproductive function in the pedigrees of these women. There was a high incidence of developmental anomalies in the pedigrees of mothers with chromosomal variants. These results lead to the conclusion that cytogenetic and molecular-cytogenetic studies of mothers and children with autism should be regarded as obligatory in terms of detecting possible genetic causes of autism and for genetic counseling of families with autistic children.