De novo small supernumerary marker chromosomes detected on 143,000 consecutive prenatal diagnoses: chromosomal distribution, frequencies, and characterization combining molecular cytogenetics approaches.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of clinical consequences in prenatal cases with de novo small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMC), often in mosaic conditions, is not easy to predict, which results in difficulties in genetic counseling. METHOD: In this study, we evaluated the frequency, the chromosomal origin, and the clinical indication of 104 de novo sSMC detected in a monocenter survey on the basis of 143,000 consecutive prenatal diagnoses, and we assessed the reliability of molecular cytogenetics technologies for sSMC characterization. RESULTS: We detected a de novo sSMC frequency of 0.072%. Its incidence in advanced maternal age group is statistically different from that found in maternal anxiety indication (<35 years old). A higher prevalence of mosaicism in chorionic villi sampling (CVS) than in amniotic fluids was also revealed related to confined placental mosaicisms. The risk of confirmation in amniotic fluids of mosaics previously revealed at CVS was 33.3%. No uniparental disomy conditions were found when imprinted chromosomes were involved in the occurrence of de novo sSMC. The majority of de novo sSMC were acrocentric derived-chromosomes, and a neocentromere formation was observed in one pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Our data support that array comparative genomic hybridization has improved sSMC characterization and demonstrate its utility in supporting genetic counseling. We propose a workflow for de novo sSMC characterization.

QF-PCR as a substitute for karyotyping of cytotrophoblast for the analysis of chorionic villi: advantages and limitations from a cytogenetic retrospective audit of 44,727 first-trimester prenatal diagnoses.

OBJECTIVES: Karyotyping on chorionic villous samples (CVS) includes the analysis of both cytotrophoblast (STC) and mesenchyme (LTC). This approach requires complex laboratory organization and trained technicians. The introduction of quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) instead of conventional karyotyping in low-risk pregnancies opened its application in CVS analysis. Discordant QF-PCR and CVS cytogenetic results were reported, and strategies for CVS analysis were introduced to minimize this risk. The possibility to substitute the STC with QF-PCR was reported. The aim of this study is to evaluate benefits and limitations of the approach QF-PCR + LTC compared with the traditional method STC + LTC and to quantify the associated risks of false results. METHOD: This study is based on a retrospective cytogenetic audit of CVS results (n = 44 727) generated by the STC + LTC analytic approach. False-negative risks related to true fetal mosaicism type IV, imprinting syndromes and maternal contamination in LTC were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with STC + LTC, QF-PCR + LTC approach is associated with a cumulative false-negative risk of ~1/3100-1/4400. Costs and reporting time of STC in a high-throughput cytogenetic lab are similar to a CE-IVD marked QF-PCR analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results should be clearly highlighted in the pre-test counseling and extensively discussed with the couple prior to testing for informed consent.

Chromosome abnormalities investigated by non-invasive prenatal testing account for approximately 50% of fetal unbalances associated with relevant clinical phenotypes.

During the past 20 years non-invasive screening tests have been increasingly utilized in prenatal diagnosis (PD) practice. Considerable effort has been exerted by multicenter consortia to evaluate the reliability of non-invasive screening tests in detecting those women with an increased risk of having a pregnancy affected by trisomies 21, 18, and 13, monosomy X, and triploidies. To what extent this group of abnormal karyotypes accounts for the total number of phenotypically relevant fetal chromosome abnormalities has, however, never been investigated. The present report is an attempt aimed to quantify this proportion. A retrospective analysis of a homogeneous survey of 115,128 consecutive invasive prenatal tests was undertaken. All cases were classified in accordance with the indication given for the invasive testing. Cytogenetic results regarding 96,416 karyotype analyses performed because of advanced maternal age (>or=35 years) or gestational anxiety (<35 years) were considered since these are the patients who usually undergo non-invasive screening tests. We calculated the number of cases (T21, T18, T13, 45,X, and triploidy) that would have been detected by prenatal screening on the basis of the published detection rate of the combined-2 test or the quadruple test. Our findings indicate that the chromosomal abnormalities investigated by screening tests represent <50% of the fetal chromosomal abnormalities associated with an abnormal outcome ranging from intermediate-to-severe in women <35 years (45.8% and 39.6% in the first and second trimesters, respectively), and sensitivity >50% in women >or=35 years (65.1% and 61.8%, respectively). To conclude, approximately 50% of the phenotypically relevant abnormal karyotypes cannot be detected by non-invasive prenatal screening tests.

Prenatal detection by subtelomeric FISH and MLPA of unbalanced meiotic recombinants resulting from parental pericentric inversions.

OBJECTIVE: Pericentric inversion carriers are predisposed to produce unbalanced gametes that result in conceptuses having either a partial trisomy for one distal segment and a partial monosomy for the other or vice versa. Larger inversions result in smaller unbalanced distal segments and a higher likelihood of a viable fetus. In these cases the structure of the recombinant chromosome is similar to the original balanced inverted or normal ones despite the (unbalanced) genetic content. Such cases may not be detected prenatally by conventional cytogenetic analysis. METHODS: In all prenatal samples from the pericentric inversion carriers we applied subtelomeric FISH probes specific for the chromosome involved in order to detect parental meiotic recombinants resulting from a single cross-over event. Confirmatory MLPA was also applied in unbalanced fetuses. RESULTS: The occurrence of a duplication deficiency unbalance from pericentric inversion carriers was successfully detected in all three fetuses by FISH. MLPA assays applied in two cases confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: The application of commercial FISH subtelomeric probes is a reliable method that could be routinely applied for the detection of single cross-over meiotic recombinants. MLPA is a sound alternative technique.