Parental social responsiveness and risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring

Traduction: G.M.

JAMA Psychiatry. 2014 Aug 1;71(8):936-42. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.476.

La réactivité sociale des parents et le risque de troubles du spectre autistique chez les enfants 

Lyall K1, Constantino JN2, Weisskopf MG3, Roberts AL4, Ascherio A5, Santangelo SL6.

Author information

• 1Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts2Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis.
• 2Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri.
• 3Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts5Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
• 4Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
• 5Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts4Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts7Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital.
• 6Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts8Department of Psychiatry, Maine Medical Center/Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland.

Abstract

IMPORTANCE:

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is known to be heritable, patterns of inheritance of subclinical autistic traits in nonclinical samples are poorly understood.

Bien que le trouble du spectre autistique (TSA) soit connu pour être héréditaire, les modes de transmission de traits autistiques subcliniques dans des échantillons non cliniques sont mal compris. 

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the familiality of Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores of individuals with and without ASD.

Examiner l'héritabilité des résultats à l'échelle de réactivité sociale (SRS) des personnes avec et sans TSA. 

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:

We performed a nested case-control study (pilot study: July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2009; full-scale study: September 15, 2008, through September 14, 2012) within a population-based longitudinal cohort. Participants were drawn from the Nurses' Health Study II, a cohort of 116 430 female nurses recruited in 1989. Case participants were index children with reported ASD; control participants were frequency matched by year of birth of case participants among those not reporting ASD. Of 3161 eligible participants, 2144 nurses (67.8%) returned SRS forms for a child and at least 1 parent and were included in these analyses.

EXPOSURE:

The SRS scores, as reported by nurse mothers and their spouses, were examined in association with risk of ASD using crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses. The SRS scores of the children were examined in association with SRS scores of the parents using crude and adjusted linear regression analyses stratified by case status.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:

Autism spectrum disorder, assessed by maternal report, validated in a subgroup with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised.

RESULTS

A total of 1649 individuals were included in these analyses, including 256 ASD case participants, 1393 control participants, 1233 mothers, and 1614 fathers. Risk of ASD was increased by 85.0% among children whose parents had concordantly elevated SRS scores (odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.08-3.16) and by 52.0% when the score of either parent was elevated (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.11-2.06). Elevated scores of the father significantly increased the risk of ASD in the child (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.38-2.71), but no association was seen with elevated scores of the mother. Elevated parent scores significantly increased child scores in controls, corresponding to an increase in 23 points (P < .001).

Au total 1649 personnes ont été incluses dans ces analyses, y compris 256 participants avec TSA , 1 393 participants contrôle, 1233 mères et 1614 pères. Le risque de TSA a augmenté de 85,0% chez les enfants dont les parents avaient des scores concordants élevés au  SRS (odds ratio [OR], 1,85; IC 95%, 1.8 à 3.16) et de 52,0% alors que le score de l'un des parents est élevé (OR, 1.52 IC 95%, 1.11 à 2.6). Un score plus élevé du père a augmenté de manière significative le risque de TSA chez l'enfant (OR, 1,94; IC 95%, 1,38 à 2,71), mais aucune association n'a été vue avec des scores élevés de la mère. Les scores élevées des mères ont augmenté de manière significative les scores des enfants dans le groupe contrôle, ce qui correspond à une augmentation de 23 points (P <0,001). 

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings support the role of additive genetic influences in concentrating inherited ASD susceptibility in successive generations and the potential role of preferential mating, and suggest that typical variation in parental social functioning can produce clinically significant differences in offspring social traits.

Ces résultats confirment le rôle des influences génétiques additives pour concentrer une prédisposition héréditaire au TSA dans les générations successives et le rôle potentiel de l'accouplement préférentiel, et indiquent que la variation typique du fonctionnement social des parents peut produire des différences cliniquement significatives dans les caractéristiques sociales de la progéniture. 

PMID: 

25100167