OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of trisomy 7 signaled by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). METHODS: Pregnant women with high risk for trisomy 7 by NIPT from January 2017 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects, and the results of prenatal diagnosis and follow-up were analyzed. Literature related to pregnant women with a high risk for trisomy 7 by NIPT from January 2016 to July 2024 was retrieved from China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and PubMed database. Relevant information such as the incidence of trisomy 7 by NIPT, positive predictive value (PPV), and pregnancy outcomes were collected. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Ethics No. JS2022010). RESULTS: A total of 51 women with a high risk for trisomy 7 by NIPT were identified. Thirty-two of them had chosen chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) of amniotic fluid cells, and 1 case of mosaic trisomy 7 was detected, which had yielded a PPV of 3.13%. Four women had opted termination of pregnancy, 1 had miscarriage, 4 had pre-term and/or low weight birth, whilst the remaining 42 (82.4%) had full-term delivery. In total 19 literature were retrieved, which had involved 278 cases of trisomy 7 signaled by NIPT, among which 5 fetuses with mosaic trisomy 7 (3.14%) were confirmed. Among the 211 women with follow-up outcomes, 2 (0.95%) had intrauterine growth restriction, 3 (1.42%) had abnormal fetal structure detected by ultrasound, 2 (0.95%) had miscarriage, 9 (4.27%) underwent pregnancy termination, 28 (13.27%) had preterm and/or low weight birth, whilst 167 (79.14%) had normal delivery. In 18 cases, chromosomal analysis of placental tissue was carried out, and 17 were confirmed to have mosaicism trisomy 7. CONCLUSION The PPV for trisomy 7 signaled by NIPT is extremely low. Although most of such women had a full term delivery, adverse pregnancy outcomes may still occur in a minority of cases. Clinicians should provide adequate genetic counseling for such women and recommend appropriate prenatal diagnosis strategies and optimal perinatal management plans.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Trisomy/diagnosis* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7/genetics* ; Adult ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Noninvasive Prenatal Testing/methods* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Clinical Relevance

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype, pregnancy outcome and follow-up of fetuses with 15q11.2BP1-BP2 microdeletions in order to provide a basis for prenatal and reproductive consultation. METHODS: From March 2019 to December 2023, 20 fetuses who were diagnosed with 15q11.2BP1-BP2 microdeletion syndrome at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were selected as the study subjects. Results of genetic testing and ultrasound examination, outcome of pregnancy, and postnatal follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University ([2020]0520B). RESULTS: None of the 20 fetuses was found to have chromosomal abnormality, whilst all were found to harbor a 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 microdeletion by low-depth whole genome sequencing (CNV-seq). The range of deletions was determined as 0.26 ~ 0.87 Mb, and all were rated as pathogenic CNVs. Three fetuses had abnormal ultrasound findings, including 1 with widened renal pelvis, 1 with agenesis of corpus callosum, and 1 with nuchal fold thickening. Parental verification in 10 couples verified that two fetal deletions were de novo, whilst the remaining eight were inherited from a phenotypically normal parent. Following genetic counseling, three couples had opted to terminate the pregnancy, whilst the remaining 17 had continued with the pregnancy until delivery. The 17 liveborns were followed up for 2 months to 5 years, with no obvious abnormality in growth and development noted. CONCLUSION CNV-seq plays an important role in the prenatal diagnosis of 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 microdeletions. Such deletions may not always lead to disease phenotypes. Individualized consultation and long-term follow-up, in combination with intrauterine ultrasound and parental verification are necessary.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15/genetics* ; Genetic Counseling ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Chromosome Deletion ; Adult ; Fetus/abnormalities* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Genetic Testing ; DiGeorge Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To explore the detection rate of copy number variations (CNVs) in fetuses with isolated Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and pregnancy outcomes in order to provide a basis for genetic counseling. METHODS: One hundred and eighty eight fetuses who underwent chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) due to isolated CAKUT detected by prenatal ultrasonography at Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital from January 2021 to December 2024 were selected as the study subjects. According to the ultrasound findings, the fetuses were divided into 8 groups, including renal parenchymal dysplasia group, renal cystic dysplasia group, simple renal parenchymal echo enhancement group, abnormal development of renal collecting system group, duplicated kidney group, ectopic kidney group, horseshoe kidney group, and bladder/posterior urethral abnormalities group. The detection of CNVs was retrospectively analyzed, and the pregnant women were followed up to summarize their pregnancy outcomes. 2 test (or Fisher's exact probability method) was used to compare the CNV detection rates between the groups. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital (Ethics No.: QFELL-YJ-2025-85). RESULTS: Among the 188 fetuses with isolated CAKUT, 23 CNVs (12.23%) were detected, of which 13 cases (6.91%) were pathogenic and 10 cases were rated as variants of unknown significance (VOUS). Among the 8 groups, the three groups with the highest proportion were renal cystic dysplasia group, renal metaplasia group, and renal parenchymal dysplasia group. The detection rates of pathogenic CNVs in the three groups were 1.79% (1/56), 6.78% (4/59), and 16.67% (5/30), respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Parental verification was conducted on 12 fetuses detected with the CNVs, confirming that 2 cases were de novo and 10 were inherited from parents with a normal phenotype. After genetic counseling, the parents of 9 fetuses opted to terminate the pregnancy, while 11 chose to continue with the pregnancy, and 3 were lost to follow-up. At the time of last follow-up, the youngest offspring was 5 months old and the oldest was 3 years and 11 months old. One child had renal aplasia, and two were born with hydronephrosis, which have been cured through surgery. The remainders had no obvious abnormality with their growth and development. CONCLUSION CMA testing has important value for prenatal diagnosis of isolated CAKUT. In this study, the detection rate of pathogenic CNVs has increased sequentially in fetuses with renal cystic developmental abnormalities, renal collecting system developmental abnormalities, and renal parenchymal dysplasia, while there was no significant difference in the detection rate of CNVs. For fetuses with isolated CAKUT detected by prenatal ultrasound, CMA testing should be considered, and reasonable pregnancy decisions should be made based on the results of prenatal ultrasound and parental verification.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics* ; Kidney/abnormalities* ; Adult ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Urogenital Abnormalities/diagnosis* ; Microarray Analysis/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract/abnormalities* ; Fetus ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

Y chromosome microdeletions are an important cause of male infertility. At present, research on the Y chromosome is mainly focused on analyzing the loss of large segments of the azoospermia factor a/b/c (AZFa/b/c) gene, and few studies have reported the impact of unit point deletion in the AZF band on fertility. This study analyzed the effect of sperm quality after sY1192 loss in 116 patients. The sY1192-independent deletion accounted for 41.4% (48/116). Eight patterns were found in the deletions associated with sY1192. The rate of sperm detection was similar in the semen of patients with the independent sY1192 deletion and the combined sY1192 deletions (52.1% vs 50.0%). The patients with only sY1192 gene loss had a higher probability of sperm detection than the patients whose sY1192 gene locus existed, but other gene loci were lost (52.1% vs 32.0%). The hormone levels were similar in patients with sY1192 deletion alone and in those with sY1192 deletion and other types of microdeletions in the presence of the sY1192 locus. After multiple intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) attempts, the pregnancy rate of spouses of men with sY1192-independent deletions was similar to that of other types of microdeletions, but the fertilization and cleavage rates were higher. We observed that eight deletion patterns were observed for sY1192 microdeletions of AZFb/c, dominated by the independent deletion of sY1192. After ICSI, the fertilization rate and cleavage rate of the sY1192-independent microdeletion were higher than those of other Y chromosome microdeletion types, but there was no significant difference in pregnancy outcomes.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Male ; Chromosomes, Human, Y/genetics* ; Adult ; Chromosome Deletion ; Pregnancy Outcome/genetics* ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Semen Analysis ; Sex Chromosome Disorders of Sex Development/genetics* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Sex Chromosome Aberrations

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the results of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy of fetuses with a high risk for 6p22.1.1-p21.32 duplication signaled by non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS). METHODS: Clinical information, results of prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy for fetuses with a high risk for 6p22.1-p21.32 duplication were collected and analyzed. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethic No. 2018-YB-08). RESULTS: Forty three pregnant women with a high risk for 6p22.1-p21.32 duplication were identified by NIPS, among whom 30 had accepted invasive prenatal diagnosis, and 27 fetuses were verified to be false positive. Three fetuses were found to have other chromosomal abnormalities, among whom two were rated to be likely benign CNV and 1 was rated to be likely pathogenic. Follow up of the 43 pregnant women revealed that 35 fetuses were normal after birth, 1 pregnancy was terminated, and 7 were lost to follow up. CONCLUSION For pregnant women with a high risk for 6p22.1-p21.32 duplication signaled by NIPS, genetic counselor need to inform them the high false positive rate and recommend invasive prenatal diagnosis and/or ultrasound examination in order to reduce the psychological and economic burdens.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Chromosome Duplication ; Adult ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6/genetics* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Noninvasive Prenatal Testing/methods* ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Fetus/abnormalities*

Mosaic embryos contain two or more genetically distinct cell lines, which can be detected by pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. At present, it has been reported that mosaic embryo transfer can lead to healthy live births. In order to prevent severe adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as implantation failure, abortion, congenital malformation and neonatal death after implantation of mosaic embryos, it is critical to carry out genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy supervision for mosaic embryo transfer. This article reviews the selection of mosaic embryos, the pregnancy outcomes of mosaic embryo transfer, and the safety of offspring, in order to provide references for the clinical practice of mosaic embryo transfer.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Genetic Testing ; Embryo Implantation/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the result of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for fetuses with rare autosomal trisomies (RATs) suggested by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). METHODS: A total of 69 608 pregnant women who underwent NIPT at Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to December 2020 were selected as study subjects. The result of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for those with a high risk for RATs were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 69 608 pregnant women, the positive rate of NIPT for high-risk RATs was 0.23% (161/69 608), with trisomy 7 (17.4%, 28/161) and trisomy 8 (12.4%, 20/161) being the most common, and trisomy 17 (0.6%, 1/161) being the rarest. For 98 women who had accepted invasive prenatal diagnosis, 12 fetal chromosomal abnormalities were confirmed, and in 5 cases the results were consistent with those of NIPT, which yielded a positive predictive value of 5.26%. Among the 161 women with a high risk for RATs, 153 (95%) were successfully followed up. 139 fetuses were ultimately born, with only one being clinically abnormal. CONCLUSION Most women with a high risk for RATs by NIPT have good pregnancy outcomes. Invasive prenatal diagnosis or serial ultrasonography to monitor fetal growth, instead of direct termination of pregnancy, is recommended.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Trisomy/genetics* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Fetus ; Trisomy 18 Syndrome/genetics* ; Aneuploidy

Fetal cell free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood circulation mainly originates from placental trophoblasts which have dual characteristics of apoptotic cells and the embryo, and can be affected by maternal factors. Pregnancy-related diseases including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, macrosomia and fetal growth restriction can seriously affect maternal health and pregnancy outcome. Early prediction and timely intervention are important means to reduce the risk. Fetal cfDNA and prediction of pregnancy-related diseases have become a hot topicfor current research. This paper reviews the latest progress made in the field.
Cell-Free Nucleic Acids/genetics* ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlation of borderline fetal ventriculomegaly with genomic copy number variations (CNVs) and outcome of pregnancy. METHODS: For 84 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with VM, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was carried out to detect the CNVs of the fetal genome. Outcome of the pregnancy and neonatal development were analyzed. The pregnant women were divided into mild group (10-12 mm), moderate group (12-15 mm) and severe group (>= 15 mm) based on the severity of fetal ventriculomegaly. The detection rate of pathogenic CNVs and pregnancy outcome were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to analyze the predictors for pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: Respectively, 24, 28 and 32 fetuses were assigned into the mild, moderate and severe groups. CMA has detected 15 cases of chromosomal abnormalities, including 11 pathogenic CNVs and 4 abnormal karyotypes. Abnormal pregnancy outcomes were found in 20 fetuses, including 12 with hydrocephalus and 8 with chromosomal microdeletion syndromes. A significant difference was found in the detection rate of fetal pathogenic CNVs and abnormal pregnancy outcome among the three groups (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the largest change of lateral ventricle width (OR = 1.868, 95%CI = 1.120-3.116) and the extent of lateral ventricle widening (OR = 1.571, 95%CI = 1.120-2.206) were the key factors affecting the outcome of pregnancy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Borderline fetal VM is associated with the risk of pathogenic CNVs and adverse pregnancy outcome. A comprehensive examination is required after prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, which is conducive to prenatal consultation and prognostic evaluation of the fetus.
Chromosome Aberrations ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus/genetics* ; Infant, Newborn ; Microarray Analysis ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Prenatal Diagnosis

Endometrial receptivity has become the main cause of fertilization and pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients,bringing large psychological damage and economic loss to the patients and their family. In recent years,the role of non-coding RNA has increasingly been recognized. The relationship between non-coding RNA and endometrial receptivity is reviewed in this article.
Embryo Implantation ; Endometrium ; physiology ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; RNA, Untranslated ; genetics