AUTHOR=Gamliel Moriya , Anderson Karen L. , Ebstein Richard P. , Yirmiya Nurit , Mankuta David 

TITLE=Paternal HLA-C and Maternal Killer-Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genotypes in the Development of Autism

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2016

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2016.00076

DOI=10.3389/fped.2016.00076

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immunity system. Their activity is regulated by inhibitory and activating receptors. The major family of inhibitory receptors is the Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) which recognize MHC class I proteins, mainly HLA-C. The KIR receptor family is further divided into two groups; short tail receptors that are activating and named 2/3DS and long tail receptors that are inhibitory and named 2/3DL. Because immune aberrations have been reported in autistic (ASD) children we decided to compare the KIR: HLA frequencies in ASD children with those of their healthy parents. This study enrolled 49 ASD children from different Israeli families, and their parents.  A higher frequency of HLA-C2 allotypes was found among the fathers, while its correspond ligand 2DS1, was found in higher percentage in the maternal group. Nevertheless, a skewed frequency of the combination was not shown in the ASD children. "Overall activation" analysis pointed to higher activation in maternal than paternal cohorts.