OBJECTIVES: A commonality across a number of pediatric neuropsychiatric 
disorders is a higher than typical rate of familial - and especially maternal - 
autoimmune disease. Of recent interest, a subtype of obsessive-compulsive 
disorder (OCD) and tic disorders known collectively as Pediatric Autoimmune 
Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) is believed to 
be secondary to central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity that occurs in 
relation to group A streptococcal infection. Thus, we hypothesized that a sample 
of children with OCD and/or tics would have an increased maternal risk for an 
autoimmune response relative to population norms. We also expected maternal 
prevalence of various autoimmune diseases to be higher among those participants 
that met the putative criteria for PANDAS.
METHODS: We examined, via structured interview, the medical history of the 
biological mothers of 107 children with OCD and/or tics.
RESULTS: Autoimmune disorders were reported in 17.8% of study mothers, which is 
significantly greater than the general prevalence among women in the United 
States (approximately 5%). Further, study mothers were more likely to report 
having an autoimmune disease if their children were considered "likely PANDAS" 
cases versus "unlikely PANDAS" cases.
CONCLUSIONS: The results offer preliminary support for hypothesized links 
between maternal autoimmune disease and both OCD/tics and PANDAS in youth. 
Further research is necessary to clarify these general associations; links to 
specific autoimmune disease; and relevance of autoimmune disease in other family 
members (e.g., fathers).