title: Postnatal and non-invasive prenatal detection of β-thalassemia mutations based on Taqman genotyping assays.
abstract: The β-thalassemias are genetic disorder caused by more than 200 mutations in the β-globin gene, resulting in a total (β0) or partial (β+) deficit of the globin chain synthesis. The most frequent Mediterranean mutations for β-thalassemia are: β039, β+IVSI-110, β+IVSI-6 and β0IVSI-1. Several molecular techniques for the detection of point mutations have been developed based on the amplification of the DNA target by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but they could be labor-intensive and technically demanding. On the contrary, TaqMan® genotyping assays are a simple, sensitive and versatile method suitable for the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping affecting the human β-globin gene. Four TaqMan® genotyping assays for the most common β-thalassemia mutations present in the Mediterranean area were designed and validated for the genotype characterization of genomic DNA extracted from 94 subjects comprising 25 healthy donors, 33 healthy carriers and 36 β-thalassemia patients. In addition, 15 specimens at late gestation (21-39 gestational weeks) and 11 at early gestation (5-18 gestational weeks) were collected from pregnant women, and circulating cell-free fetal DNAs were extracted and analyzed with these four genotyping assays. We developed four simple, inexpensive and versatile genotyping assays for the postnatal and prenatal identification of the thalassemia mutations β039, β+IVSI-110, β+IVSI-6, β0IVSI-1. These genotyping assays are able to detect paternally inherited point mutations in the fetus and could be efficiently employed for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of β-globin gene mutations, starting from the 9th gestational week.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.|Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breveglieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Travan
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Aversa
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.|Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia Carmela
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cosenza
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Laboratory Analysis, University Hospital S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pellegatti
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Laboratory Analysis, University Hospital S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.|Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gambari
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8470-2496
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D055544:beta-Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D055544:beta-Globins