RORA and autism in Isfahan population: is there an epigenetic relationship

ABSTRACT

Objective: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communication, impaired social interaction, and restricted and repetitive behavior. It has been recently introduced as a multigenic disorder with significant epigenetic effects on its pathology. Recently, epigenetic silencing of retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor alpha [ROR alpha] gene [which has an essential role in neural tissue development] was shown to have occurred in autistic children due to methylation of its promoter region. This may thus explain a significant part of the molecular pathogenesis of autism. Therefore, we aimed to confirm this finding by implementing a case-control [experimental] study in the population of Isfahan