Association between CNTNAP2 polymorphisms and autism: A family-based study in the chinese han population and a meta-analysis combined with GWAS data of psychiatric genomics consortium.

Autism is a childhood neuropsychiatric disorder with evidence of a strong genetic component in the complex etiologies. Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), a member of the neurexin superfamily, plays an essential role in neural development. CNTNAP2 was considered as one of the most susceptible genes for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some studies indicated the association of CNTNAP2 with ASD, while others reported no association. Given the inconsistent results of the previous studies, we performed a family-based association study between 9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CNTNAP2 and autism in 640 autistic trios in the Chinese Han population. Then, an updated meta-analysis, combined with the data from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (iPSYCH-PGC ASD, 2017) and available association studies, was conducted. No SNPs were significantly associated with autism in the Chinese Han population. In the meta-analysis, the two frequently reported SNPs (rs2710102 and rs7794745) showed no significant association with ASD. Therefore, CNTNAP2 polymorphisms might not be associated with autism. Autism Research 2019, 12: 553-561. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: In present family-based association study, no single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with autism in the Chinese Han population. In the updated meta-analysis, the association between the two frequently reported SNPs (rs2710102 and rs7794745) in CNTNAP2 and the risk of ASD was explored. However, the results showed no significant association. Therefore, our study suggested that CNTNAP2 polymorphisms might not be associated with autism.