Variability in laboratory reporting practices for regions of homozygosity indicating parental relatedness as identified by SNP microarray testing.
OBJECTIVE
Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays are capable of detecting regions of homozygosity (ROH) that can suggest parental consanguinity or incest. This study was designed to describe the variable reporting practices of clinical laboratories in the United States regarding ROH found on SNP microarray tests, to discuss the follow-up practices of laboratory personnel when findings of ROH indicate consanguinity or incest, and to highlight the legal and ethical dilemmas faced by workers who have discovered these incidental findings.


METHODS
A 20-question survey was administered to microarray experts at 18 laboratories offering clinical SNP microarray tests. The results are presented using descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
There was variability in laboratory SNP microarray reporting practices with respect to information and interpretation of ROH findings. All the laboratories agreed that they have a duty to inform the ordering physician about results suggesting consanguinity or incest, but the follow-through practices varied among laboratories.


CONCLUSIONS
This study discovered variability in reporting practices and follow-up procedures for microarray results that suggest parental consanguinity or incest. Our findings highlight the need for laboratory guidelines to standardize reporting practices for SNP microarray and other tests that are capable of detecting ROH.
Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Lauren
L
Grote
Melanie
M
Myers
Anne
A
Lovell
Howard
H
Saal
Kristen
K
Lipscomb Sund
D003241:Consanguinity; D030881:Disclosure; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007179:Incest / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059232:Laboratory Personnel; D015588:Observer Variation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States