A retrospective and theoretical evaluation of rapid methods for detecting chromosome abnormalities and their implications on genetic counseling based on a series of 3868 CVS diagnoses.
OBJECTIVE
To report our experience over the past 10 years of chorionic villi sampling (CVS) prenatal diagnosis in a high-risk population for chromosomal anomalies, and to analyze, according to the results, the advantages and disadvantages of using quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) in amniotic fluid with respect to a conventional semi-direct cytogenetic CVS method in a retrospective theoretical review.


METHODS
We performed 3,868 cytogenetic analyses from CVS using a semi-direct culture method in a selected high-risk population for chromosomal abnormalities and we compare our findings with the theoretical results obtained using QF-PCR on amniotic fluid.


RESULTS
The rate of chromosomal anomalies detected with the semi-direct CVS cytogenetic study, excluding confined placental mosaicism (CPM), was 6.8%. 26.3% of all them would be missed by using QF-PCR only and among them, 21.4% of cases would represent a severe adverse obstetric outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
We think that semi-direct CVS cytogenetic analysis in comparison with QF-PCR in amniotic fluid is similarly rapid, performed earlier and more complete, allowing the chromosomal diagnosis in the first trimester of gestation. We propose the use of QF-PCR as an additional method to semi-direct CVS analysis in order to avoid false-negative results, as a rapid alternative to long-term culture.
Servei de Bioquímica i Genètica Molecular, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
Anna
A
Soler
Carme
C
Morales
Cèlia
C
Badenas
Laia
L
Rodríguez-Revenga
Ana
A
Carrió
Ester
E
Margarit
Dolors
D
Costa
Antoni
A
Borrell
Anna
A
Goncé
Montserrat
M
Milà
Aurora
A
Sánchez
D000328:Adult; D015193:Chorionic Villi Sampling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies