X-linked mental retardation: a study of 7 families.

Seven families with X-linked mental retardation (MR) have been studied clinically and cytogenetically. All affected males in six of the families were found to have a fragile site on Xq in a number of their peripheral lymphocytes. The fragile site was not seen in any of the affected males in the seventh family. The affected males in the six families with the fragile X had a syndrome characterized by a variable degree of MR, macro-orchidism, a characteristic repetitive, jocular speech, normal body proportions, and large jaws and ears. The fragile X chromosome could only be detected in a proportion of female carriers and its frequency in females was found to be correlated with their mental status to be inversely correlated with their age.