Reassessing the role of mitochondrial DNA mutations in autism spectrum disorder

Background: There is increasing evidence that impairment of mitochondrial energy metabolism plays an important role in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD; OMIM number: 209850). A significant proportion of ASD cases display biochemical alterations suggestive of mitochondrial dysfun...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Álvarez Iglesias, Vanesa, Mosquera Miguel, Ana, Cuscó Martí, Ivon, 1973-, Carracedo, Ángel, Pérez Jurado, Luis Alberto, Salas, Antonio
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/16424
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/16424
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2350-12-50
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:ADN mitocondrial -- Malformacions
Autisme
Descrição
Resumo:Background: There is increasing evidence that impairment of mitochondrial energy metabolism plays an important role in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD; OMIM number: 209850). A significant proportion of ASD cases display biochemical alterations suggestive of mitochondrial dysfunction and several studies have reported that mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule could be involved in the disease phenotype. Methods: We analysed a cohort of 148 patients with idiopathic ASD for a number of mutations proposed in the literature as pathogenic in ASD. We also carried out a case control association study for the most common European haplogroups (hgs) and their diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by comparing cases with 753 healthy and ethnically matched controls./nResults: We did not find statistical support for an association between mtDNA mutations or polymorphisms and ASD./nConclusions: Our results are compatible with the idea that mtDNA mutations are not a relevant cause of ASD and the frequent observation of concomitant mitochondrial dysfunction and ASD could be due to nuclear factors influencing mitochondrion functions or to a more complex interplay between the nucleus and the mitochondrion/mtDNA.