Juvenile Iraqi delinquents : a study of chromosomes and dermatoglyphics

Abstract EN

The chromosomal complement and finger-tip dermatoglyphics were investigated in a random sample of 96 juvenile male delinquents (JD) with an age range of 9-18 years.

For the chromosomal study, blood samples from 50 JD were cultured and karyotyed.

The results showed two cases (4 %) of sex chromosome anomalies.

The first was with Klinefelter’s syndrome (47,XXY), while the second was an XYY syndrome but in a mosaic state (46, XY / 47, XYY).

Both cases had a similar age (18 years) and were taller (187 cm and 183 cm, respectively) than the average height of the other JD (170.7 ± 10.1cm) and controls (171.4 ± 5.7cm) of similar ages.

For dermatoglyphics, the 96 JD were significactly different from the 96 controls in the qualitative analysis, which was ascribed to increased and decreased frequencies of ulnar loops and whorls, respectively in the JD.

However, the quantitative analysis revealed no significant difference, although reduced ridge counts (TRC and ARC) were recorded in the JD.

Also, the two observed cases of sex chromosome anomalies showed less ridge counts than the counts of other JD or the controls.