title: Higher limb asymmetry in deceased human fetuses and infants with aneuploidy.
abstract: Aneuploidies cause gene-dosage imbalances that presumably result in a generalized decreased developmental homeostasis, which is expected to be detectable through an increase in fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral symmetric traits. However, support for the link between aneuploidy and FA is currently limited and no comparisons among different aneuploidies have been made. Here, we study FA in deceased human fetuses and infants from a 20-year hospital collection. Mean FA of limb bones was compared among groups of aneuploidies with different prenatal and postnatal survival chances and two reference groups (normal karyogram or no congenital anomalies). Limb asymmetry was 1.5 times higher for aneuploid cases with generally very short life expectancies (trisomy 13, trisomy 18, monosomy X, triploidy) than for trisomy 21 patients and both reference groups with higher life expectancies. Thus, FA levels are highest in groups for which developmental disturbances have been highest. Our results show a significant relationship between fluctuating asymmetry, human genetic disorders and severity of the associated abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: 1] Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium [2].
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bots
authors.affiliation: 1] Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium [2] Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands [3].
authors.forename: Clara M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: ten Broek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Belien
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bugiani
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frietson
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galis
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Dongen
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000002:abnormalities; D005121:Extremities / Q000473:pathology; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D017880:Limb Deformities, Congenital / Q000235:genetics*; D014314:Trisomy / Q000235:genetics