[Investigation on a group of autistic children: risk factors and medical social considerations].

AIMS: The aim of this work is to study the association between autism in a group of autistic children and risk factors for specific familiar diseases and developmental disease in the early years of life, through a medical social investigation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study, we have submitted an anamnestic questionnaire to 29 autistic children and their families in a South Italy region (Basilicata), collecting data about children and their parents.

RESULTS: The results show that many children have a family history of autoimmune diseases (psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, Takayasu's arteritis), allergies and food intolerances, suggesting a putative involvement of the immune system in autism etiopathogenesis. Analyzing residences areas of patients, Potenza and Matera, with their environmental factors (radioactive waste repositories, incinerators, intensive farming), we demonstrate that the particular territorial characteristics don't affect autism.

CONCLUSIONS: Autistic disorder is a spectrum of neurologic disorders complex both in etiopathogenesis and healthcare. So we aim to continue the study already undertaken on cytokines of autistic subjects serum and to extend it through biomolecular approaches assessing the presence of specific genetic polymorphisms in order to identify the physiopathogenetic mechanisms underlying the disease and to evaluate the predictive risk with the aim to improve care interventions.