title: Fully automated FISH examination of amniotic fluid cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis has become a valuable adjunct in cytogenetics, providing a rapid screen for common chromosome abnormalities that is particularly helpful in prenatal diagnosis. FISH analysis using standard microscopy is expensive and labor intensive, requiring both a high skill level and subjective signal interpretation. A reliable fully automated system for FISH analysis could improve laboratory efficiency and potentially reduce errors and costs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The efficacy of an automated system was compared to standard manual FISH analysis. Two sets of slides were generated from each of 152 amniotic fluid samples. Following hybridization with a standard panel of five chromosome FISH probes, one set of slides was evaluated using manual microscopy. The other set was evaluated using an automated microscopy system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A diagnostic outcome was obtained for all 152 samples using manual microscopy and for 146 of 152 (96%) samples using automated microscopy. Three cases of aneuploidy were detected. For those samples for which a diagnostic outcome was determined by both manual and automated microscopy, 100% concordance was observed. All FISH analysis results were confirmed by karyotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that an automated microscopy system is capable of providing accurate and rapid enumeration of FISH signals in amniocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. jan.wauters@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wauters
authors.forename: Elvire Van
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Assche
authors.forename: Aristidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antsaklis
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tepperberg
authors.forename: S Michael
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.forename: Triantafyllos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tafas
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsipouras
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D001331:Automation; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results