Anne Mason-Brothers

Pre-, Peri-, and Postnatal Factors in 181 Autistic Patients from Single and Multiple Incidence Families

Abstract The incidence of 34 potentially pathologic pre-, peri-, neo-, and postnatal factors in the first 181 patients enrolled in the UCLA Registry for Genetic Studies of Autism was determined. Mothers of autistic patients from single ( N = 75) incidence families had significantly increased incidences of bleeding, flu-like symptoms, taking medications during pregnancy, and induced labors than multiple incidences cases ( N = 106). Boys ( N = 149) and girls ( N = 32) were equally impaired on IQ tests.

Autism and Shared Parental HLA Antigens

We hypothesized that parents of autistic children may share HLA antigens (human leukocyte antigens or histocompatibility antigens) more commonly than the population of parents of normal children since autism is present at birth or shortly thereafter, and since mothers of autistic children tend to share some of the symptoms of preeclampsia and parents of autistic children are reported to have an increased incidence of spontaneous abortions. Heterozygosity (differences at the HLA sites between parents) is apparently important to enhance the protection of the fetus from the mothers immune system. We studied the HLA antigens of 52 sets of parents of autistic children and compared them with the HLA antigens of 83 sets of parents of normal children reported in the literature. We found 39 out of 52 (75%) of the experimental group shared at least one antigen. The comparison group shared 18 out of 83 (22%). This difference was significant at the less than 0.0001 level of confidence (χ 2 =35.096). We recommend further research in this potentially fruitful area.

A Report of One Family With Four Autistic Siblings and Four Families With Three Autistic Siblings

Abstract This is the first report of four autistic siblings. Four previously unreported families with three autistic siblings are also described. Careful review of pre-, peri-, and postnatal medical data failed to reach any common potentially pathological events in these 16 autistic siblings or their families. Taken together with other recently documented multiple incidence families, they are consistent with the possibility of a genetically determined type of autism.