Holly's Story: Illustration of an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Case

• Published in: International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology 2008-10, Vol.21 (4), p.1049-1051
• Main Authors: Aureli, A., Piancatelli, D., Del Beato, T., Sebastiani, P., Melillo, V., Marimpietri, A., Sechi, E., Di Loreto, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - etiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - genetics; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Child; Genes, MHC Class I; Genes, MHC Class II; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests
• ISSN: 0394-6320; 2058-7384
• DOI: 10.1177/039463200802100433

During the last 10 years a significant increase of childhood neuropsychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been reported. ADHD is believed to have a multifactorial etiology including multiple genetic and prenatal environmental factors. For this reason, there has been a recent revival regarding the role of autoimmunity in this pathology. An ADHD combined-type patient born from a drug-addicted mother was studied. Neuropsychological tests according to the criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM4) permitted us to make the ADHD-diagnosis. The HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 alleles of the child were determined by sequence-based typing (SBT) after DNA extraction. Although no autistic behavioral features were observed in the patient, a double genetic association between ADHD and autism was reported. In fact, HLA class I alleles (A*02 and B*44) associated to autism and the HLA class II allele (DRB1*04) associated both to autism and ADHD were identified.