Association of HLA alleles with autism

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders known by impaired social interaction and activities and abnormal repetitive behavior. As a multifactorial disorder, several genetic and immunological factors have been shown to be implicated in its pathogenesis. Methods: Among them are certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. In the current study, we genotyped HLA-A,-B & DRB alleles in 103 Iranian ASD patients and 180 age, gender, and ethnic-matched healthy controls. Results: After Boferroni correction no allele or haplotype was associated with genetic susceptibility to ASD in Iranian population. Conclusion: Future studies are needed to assess contribution of immunological factors such as HLA alleles in ASD pathogenesis.