Abstract
BackgroundSotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone age, characteristic facial features, and learning disabilities, caused by mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, located at 5q35. Sotos syndrome has been described in a number of patients with autism spectrum disorders, suggesting that NSD1 could be involved in other cases of autism and macrocephaly.MethodsWe screened the NSD1 gene for mutations and deletions in 88 patients with autism spectrum disorders and macrocephaly (head circumference 2 standard deviations or more above the mean). Mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing of all exons and flanking regions. Dosage analysis of NSD1 was carried out using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.ResultsWe identified three missense variants (R604L, S822C and E1499G) in one patient each, but none is within a functional domain. In addition, segregation analysis showed that all variants were inherited from healthy parents and in two cases were also present in unaffected siblings, indicating that they are probably nonpathogenic. No partial or whole gene deletions/duplications were observed.ConclusionOur findings suggest that Sotos syndrome is a rare cause of autism spectrum disorders and that screening for NSD1 mutations and deletions in patients with autism and macrocephaly is not warranted in the absence of other features of Sotos syndrome.
Highlights
Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone age, characteristic facial features, and learning disabilities, caused by mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, located at 5q35
Our results showed no point mutations or deletions of NSD1, indicating that Sotos syndrome is a rare cause of autism spectrum disorders with macrocephaly
Patients with autistic disorder were assessed with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) [23] and those with Asperger syndrome were assessed with the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Interview (ASDI) [24]
Summary
Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone age, characteristic facial features, and learning disabilities, caused by mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, located at 5q35. Sotos syndrome has been described in a number of patients with autism spectrum disorders, suggesting that NSD1 could be involved in other cases of autism and macrocephaly. Sotos syndrome (MIM 117550) is a childhood overgrowth syndrome characterized by distinctive facial features including prominent forehead, down-slanted palpebral fissures and pointed chin, macrocephaly and learning disabilities. Autism spectrum disorders or autistic features have been described in a number of patients with Sotos syndrome [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
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