Paternal sperm DNA methylation associated with early signs of autism risk in an autism-enriched cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Epigenetic mechanisms such as altered DNA methylation have been suggested to play a role in autism, beginning with the classical association of Prader-Willi syndrome, an imprinting disorder, with autistic features.

Objectives

Here we tested for the relationship of paternal sperm DNA methylation with autism risk in offspring, examining an enriched-risk cohort of fathers of autistic children.

Methods

We examined genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) in paternal semen biosamples obtained from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enriched-risk pregnancy cohort, the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) cohort, to estimate associations between sperm DNAm and prospective ASD development, using a 12-month ASD symptoms assessment, the Autism Observation Sc

SUBMITTER: Feinberg JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4598797 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature