Parental age and the origin of extra chromosome 21 in Down syndrome

J Hum Genet. 2001;46(6):347-50. doi: 10.1007/s100380170071.

Abstract

We present a report of the parental ages (n = 865) and parental origin of meiotic nondisjunction (n = 236) that are likely to show a predisposition in the etiology of Down syndrome (DS). Chromosomal analysis, performed over a 20-year period, on 1,001 Down syndrome subjects, revealed pure trisomy 21 karyotype in 880 subjects (87.92%), mosaic trisomy karyotype in 77 (7.69%), and translocation karyotype in 44 (4.39%). The mean maternal age was found to be 30.34 years, and mean paternal age was 31.04 years. Nondisjunctional error was 79.24% maternal and 20.76% paternal. The findings of the study revealed the significant contribution of advanced parental age and increased maternal meiotic nondisjunctional error to the origin of trisomy 21 Down syndrome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / genetics*
  • Down Syndrome / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • India
  • Male
  • Maternal Age
  • Meiosis / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mosaicism
  • Paternal Age
  • Translocation, Genetic