Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental complex diseases with causative de-novo and inherited genetic factors. They include a range of cognitive and behavioral conditions such as pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger's syndrome, and autism. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, as a cytogenetic study has been considered as one of the indicators of chromosomal damage in peripheral blood. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of micronucleus (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes of parents with autistic children. The study was case-control and the cases were parents of autistic children referring to the psychiatric department of the Ali-Asghar Hospital of Tehran. The total number of samples was 60 cases and 30 controls. The results showed that autistic children's parents had a significant increase in MN frequency in binucleated lymphocytes. Further researches are suggested to analyze the environmental and genetic reasons for MN increase in autistic children parents.
Keywords: Autism; Chromosomal damage; Cytogenetic; Micronucleus.
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