Systematic screening for subtelomeric anomalies in a clinical sample of autism.

Doctors checked 104 people with autism for tiny chromosome end-pieces. They used a test called subtelomere FISH.

Everyone already had normal chromosome pictures. The team wanted to see if the extra test found anything new.

The extra test found zero new problems. Nothing showed up that the first pictures missed.

The authors say subtelomere FISH is not worth adding to routine autism work-ups.

Duerden et al. (2012) and Al-Mamari et al. (2015) later used a newer test called chromosomal microarray. They found problems in about one of every four patients.

Those newer papers make the 2007 zero-result look outdated. The field has moved from FISH to microarray.

Older papers like Gaily et al. (1998) and Estécio et al. (2002) still found a few odd chromosomes with basic pictures. They set the stage for asking if subtelomere views would catch more, but the answer was no.

If you sit in autism diagnostic meetings, you can now skip the subtelomere FISH order. Save the money and the family’s time. If you want genetic answers, ask for chromosomal microarray first. That one test gives the best shot at finding a cause.