Summary
Heteromorphisms of chromosomes 3, 4, 13–15, 21–22, and Y were studied in a population of 374 mentally retarded patients from diverse ethnic groups. A significant variation in the size of the Y chromosome was found among different racial groups, those of the Orientals and Filipinos being larger than those of the Caucasians or Polynesians. No other significant variation was found among the different racial groups, although suggestive differences were seen in bands 3 cen, 13p3, and 14p3. Band 13 cen/pl was significantly larger in the category of socio-familial retardation than in the other two categories. However, as the significance was at the 0.05% level and as this was the only heteromorphism whose distribution was different among the three categories of mental retardation, we assign little importance to this observation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angell, R.: The chromosomes of Australian Aborigines. In: The human biology of Aborigines in Cape York, R. L. Kirk (ed.), pp. 103–109 (Australian Aboriginal Studies No. 44), Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies 1973
Cohen, M. M., Shaw, M. W., MacCluer, J. W.: Racial differences in the length of the human Y chromosome. Cytogenetics 5, 34–52 (1966)
Ghosh, P. K., Singh, I. P.: Morphological variability of the human chromosomes in two Indian populations—Rajputs and Punjabis. Humangenetik 29, 67–78 (1975)
Jacobs, P., Matsuura, J. S., Mayer, M., Newlands, I. M.: A cytogenetic survey of an institution for the mentally retarded. I. chromosome abnormalities. Clin. Genet. 13, 37–60 (1978)
Lubs, H. A., Kimberling, W. J., Hecht, F., Patil, S. R., Brown, J., Gerald, P., Summitt, R. L.: Racial differences in the frequency of Q and C chromosomal heteromorphisms. Nature 268, 631–633 (1977a)
Lubs, H. A., Patil, S. A., Kimberling, W. J., Brown, J., Cohen, M., Gerald, P., Hecht, F., Myrianthopoulos, N., Summitt, R. L.: Q- and C-banding polymorphisms in 7- and 8-year-old children: racial differences and clinical significance. In: Population cytogenetics, E. B. Hook, H. Porter (eds.), pp. 133–159. New York: Academic Press 1977b
Matsuura, J. S., Mayer, M., Jacobs, P. A.: A cytogenetic survey of an institution for the mentally retarded. II. C-band chromosome heteromorphisms. Hum. Genet. 45, 33–41 (1978)
Morton, N. E., Chung, C. S., Mi, M. P.: Genetics of interracial crosses in Hawaii. Monogr. Hum. Genet. 3 (1967)
Morton, N. E., Matsuura, J., Bart, R., Lew, R.: Genetic epidemiology of an institutionalized cohort of mental retardates. Clin. Genet. 13, 449–461 (1978)
Schwinger, E., Wehner, H.: Frequency of chromosomal fluorescence polymorphism in normal persons and in clinical patients with diagnosed chromosome aberrations. Hum. Genet. 32, 115–120 (1976)
Tharapel, A. T., Summitt, R. L.: Minor chromosome variations and selected heteromorphisms in 200 unclassifiable mentally retarded patients and 200 normal controls. Hum. Genet. 41, 121–130 (1978)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Matsuura, J.S., Mayer, M. & Jacobs, P.A. A cytogenetic survey of an institution for the mentally retarded. Hum Genet 52, 203–210 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271574
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271574