title: Analysis of 31 CFTR mutations by polymerase chain reaction/oligonucleotide ligation assay in a pilot screening of 4476 newborns for cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Molecular biological testing for genetic diseases has grown rapidly, but speed, accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, throughput, and cost become more important as large scale screening is considered. This is a pilot study of an assay for the simultaneous detection of up to 31 cystic fibrosis mutations in a multicentre population based screening of 4476 Italian newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  The assay is a polymerase chain reaction, followed by an oligonucleotide ligation assay (PCR/OLA) and finally a sequence coded separation. It allows the detection of up to 31 mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Guthrie spots were used as a source of template DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  144 carriers were detected during the analysis of 4476 samples, which translates into a carrier frequency of 1/31.1. Forty two carriers were detected from 1341 samples in Pavia (1/31.9), 53 from 1574 in Turin (1/29.7), and 49 from 1561 in San Giovanni Rotondo (1/31.8). Fifteen different mutations were detected, the most common being delta F508 (0.625). Other common mutations included G542X (16 of 144), which was particularly common in southern Italy (14 of 49), N1303K (8 of 144), and R117H (8 of 144), detected only in the northern centres.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCR/OLA is a robust, accurate, user friendly method for cystic fibrosis screening of newborns using blood spots in a semiautomated way at a low cost per mutation (0.8 Euro).
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Genetica Medica, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arbustini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Restagno
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zelante
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stanziale
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sbaiz
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sedita
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Banchieri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sapone
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fiorucci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brinson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shulse
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rappaport
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fortina
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005453:Fluorescence; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening / Q000379:methods; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: C505032:CFTR protein, human; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator