OBJECTIVE: To assess the application value of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) for women with a high risk for fetal anomalies. METHODS: Based on the results of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), 271 high-risk pregnant women were divided into NIPT positive group (n = 83) and other anomaly group (advanced age, high risk by serological screening, repeated NIPT failure, adverse pregnancy history, abnormal ultrasound finding, and abnormal phenotype) (n = 188). CNV-seq was carried out to detect copy number variations (CNVs) in amniocytic DNA from the two groups of pregnant women, and karyotyping analysis of the amniotic cells was carried out for verification and comparison. RESULTS: The amniocytes from 271 pregnant women were detected. The detection rate was 20.66% (56/271) for pathogenic CNVs by CNV-seq and 19.19% (52/271) for pathogenic karyotypes by karyotyping analysis. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CNV-seq had shown that, compared with NIPT positive group, the detection rates for likely pathogenic CNVs and variants of unknown significance (VUS) in other abnormality group were significantly higher [2.41%(2/83) vs. 5.32%(10/188)](P < 0.05). CONCLUSION CNV-seq can well suit the first-tier diagnosis for pregnant women suspected for fetal abnormality. In prenatal diagnosis settings, CNV-seq can identify additional and clinically significant cytogenetic abnormalities. In those with other abnormalities, the detection rates for likely pathogenic CNVs and VUS are higher than with the NIPT positive cases.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics*

Chromosomal aberrations including numerical abnormalities and segment duplications/deletions, as genome-wide copy number variations (CNVs), are a leading cause for spontaneous abortion. Analysis of abortive tissues for such CNVs can detect potential genomic variations in the couple and provide guidance for the choice of appropriate method to avoid further miscarriage or birth of child with chromosomal disorders. With evidence-based clinical data, an expert group jointly formed by the Genetic Disease Prevention and Control Group, Committee for Birth Defects Prevention and Control, Chinese Association of Preventive Medicine; the Clinical Genetics Group, the Society of Medical Genetics, Chinese Medical Association; the Professional Committee for Prenatal Diagnosis of Genetic Diseases, the Society of Medical Geneticists, Chinese Medical Doctor Association has discussed and formulated this consensus, with an aim to provide guidance for the application of genomic CNVs detection for the abortive tissue and genetic counseling for family reproduction.
Pregnancy ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Consensus ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Abortion, Spontaneous/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) for the diagnosis of children with disorders of sex development (DSD). METHODS: Five children with DSD who presented at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2019 to October 2020 were enrolled. In addition to chromosomal karyotyping, whole exome sequencing (WES), SRY gene testing, and CNV-seq were also carried out. RESULTS: Child 1 and 2 had a social gender of female, whilst their karyotypes were both 46,XY. No pathogenic variant was identified by WES. The results of CNV-seq were 46,XY,+Y (1.4) and 46,XY,-Y (0.75), respectively. The remaining three children have all carried an abnormal chromosome Y. Based on the results of CNV-seq, their karyotypes were respectively verified as 45,X[60]/46,X,del(Y)(q11.221)[40], 45,X,16qh+[76]/46,X,del(Y)(q11.222),16qh+[24], and 45,X[75]/46,XY[25]. CONCLUSION CNV-seq may be used to verify the CNVs on the Y chromosome among children with DSD and identify the abnormal chromosome in those with 45,X/46,XY. Above results have provided a basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such children.
Humans ; Child ; Female ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Karyotyping ; Exome Sequencing ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for trisomy 21 (T21), trisomy 18 (T18), trisomy 13 (T13), sex chromosome aneuploidies, chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications using cell-free fetal DNA from peripheral blood samples of pregnant women. METHODS: A total of 15 237 pregnant women who had undergone NIPT testing at the Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Zaozhuang from February 2015 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study. For those with a high risk by NIPT, amniotic fluid samples were collected for G-banding chromosomal karyotyping analysis and chromosomal microarray analysis to verify the consistency of NIPT with results of prenatal diagnosis. All of the women were followed up by telephone for pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 15 237 pregnant women, 266 (1.75%) were detected with a high risk for fetal chromosomal abnormality were detected. Among these, 79 (29.7%) were at a high risk for T21, 26 (9.77%) were at a high risk for T18, 9 (3.38%) were at a high risk for T13, 74 (27.82%) were at a high risk for sex chromosome aneuploidies, 12 (4.51%) were at a high risk for other autosomal aneuploidies, and 66 (24.81%) were at a high risk for chromosomal microdeletions or microduplications. 217 women had accepted invasive prenatal diagnosis and respectively 50, 13, 1, 25, 1 and 18 were confirmed with T21, T18, T13, sex chromosome aneuploidies, autosomal aneuploidies and microdeletions/microduplications, and the positive predictive values were 75.76%, 68.42%, 11.11%, 40.32%, 10% and 35.29%, respectively. For 13 042 women (85.59%), the outcome of pregnancy were successfully followed up. During the follow-up, one false negative case of T21 was discovered. No false positive cases for T13 and T18 were found. CONCLUSION NIPT has a sound performance for screening T13, T18 and T21, and is also valuable for screening other autosomal aneuploidies, sex chromosome aneuploidies and chromosomal microdeletions/microduplications.
Child ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Down Syndrome/genetics* ; Sex Chromosome Aberrations ; Trisomy 18 Syndrome/genetics* ; Trisomy 13 Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Aneuploidy ; DNA/genetics* ; Trisomy/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze sex chromosomal abnormalities and clinical manifestations of children with disorders of sex development (DSD). METHODS: A total of 14 857 children with clinical features of DSD including short stature, cryptorchidism, hypospadia, buried penis and developmental delay were recruited from Zhengzhou Children's Hospital from January 2013 to March 2022. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromosomal karyotyping were carried out for such children. RESULTS: In total 423 children were found to harbor sex chromosome abnormalities, which has yielded a detection rate of 2.85%. There were 327 cases (77.30%) with Turner syndrome and a 45,X karyotype or its mosaicism. Among these, 325 were females with short stature as the main clinical manifestation, 2 were males with short stature, cryptorchidism and hypospadia as the main manifestations. Sixty-two children (14.66%) had a 47,XXY karyotype or its mosaicism, and showed characteristics of Klinefelter syndrome (KS) including cryptorchidism, buried penis and hypospadia. Nineteen cases (4.49%) had sex chromosome mosaicisms (XO/XY), which included 11 females with short stature, 8 males with hypospadia, and 6 cases with cryptorchidism, buried penis, testicular torsion and hypospadia. The remainder 15 cases (3.55%) included 9 children with a XYY karyotype or mosaicisms, with main clinical manifestations including cryptorchidisms and hypospadia, 4 children with a 47,XXX karyotype and clinical manifestations including short stature and labial adhesion, 1 child with a 46,XX/46,XY karyotype and clinical manifestations including micropenis, hypospadia, syndactyly and polydactyly, and 1 case with XXXX syndrome and clinical manifestations including growth retardation. CONCLUSION Among children with DSD due to sex chromosomal abnormalities, sex chromosome characteristics consistent with Turner syndrome was most common, among which mosaicism (XO/XX) was the commonest. In terms of clinical manifestations, the females mainly featured short stature, while males mainly featured external genital abnormalities. Early diagnosis and treatment are particularly important for improving the quality of life in such children.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Turner Syndrome/genetics* ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Cryptorchidism ; Hypospadias ; Retrospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Sex Chromosome Aberrations ; Karyotyping ; Mosaicism ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of combined copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) and chromosomal karyotyping for the diagnosis of amniocytic mosaicisms, in addition with a literature review. METHODS: Forty cases of amniocytic mosaicisms detected at the Genetic and Prenatal Diagnosis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to December 2021, in addition with 245 mosaicisms retrieved from 11 recent literature were evaluated in terms of detection rate, consistency rate, and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: The detection rate of amniocytic mosaicisms was 0.46% (40/8 621) in our center. And its consistency rate with chromosomal karyotyping was 75.0% (30/40). After genetic counseling, 30 (75.0%) couples had opted to terminate the pregnancy, 5 (12.5%) had decided to continue with the pregnancy, 3 (7.5%) fetuses were born alive, and 2 cases (5.0%) were lost in touch. By contrast, 245 cases (0.39%) of mosaicisms were identified among 63 577 amniotic samples, with a consistency rate of 62.8% (103/164) with other techniques. Among these, 114 cases (55.1%) were terminated, 75 (36.2%) were born alive, and 18 (8.7%) were lost during the follow up. CONCLUSION Combined CNV-seq and chromosomal karyotyping has a high value for the detection of amniotic mosaicisms.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Mosaicism ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Karyotyping ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for the identification of numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities and copy number variations (CNVs) in fetuses. METHODS: 46 197 pregnant women undergoing NIPT at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Chenzhou First People's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were selected as the study subjects. Positive cases were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) following amniocentesis. RESULTS: Nearly 50% of common chromosomal aneuploidies were found in the elder pregnant women. Among these, sex chromosome aneuploidies were mainly found in pregnant women with advanced age as well as borderline risks by serological screening. Rare autosomal aneuploidies and CNVs were mainly found in those with borderline or high risks by serological screening. The positive predictive values (PPV) for fetal chromosomal abnormalities indicated by NIPT were as follows: T21 (92.37%, 109/118), T18 (53.85%, 14/26), sex chromosome aneuploidies (45.04%, 59/131), T13 (34.62%, 9/26), CNVs (29.17%, 14/48), and rare autosomal aneuploidies (2.60%, 2/77). CONCLUSION NIPT has a high detection rate for T21, T18, T13 and sex chromosome aneuploidies. It can also detect rare autosomal aneuploidies and CNVs, including some rare structural abnormalities, though verification is required by analyzing amniotic fluid samples.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Aneuploidy ; Fetus

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology and related factors in 1 065 women with spontaneous abortions. METHODS: All patients have presented at the Center of Prenatal Diagnosis of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021. Chorionic villi and fetal skin samples were collected, and the genomic DNA was assayed by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). For 10 couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions but normal CMA results for abortive tissues, non-in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) pregnancies and no previous history of live births and no structural abnormalities of the uterus, peripheral venous blood samples were collected. Genomic DNA was subjected to trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Multifactorial unconditional logistic regression analysis was carried out to analyze the factors that may affect chromosomal abnormality in spontaneous abortions, such as the age of the couple, number of previous spontaneous abortions, IVF-ET pregnancy and history of live birth. The incidence of chromosomal aneuploidies in spontaneous abortions during the first trimester was compared in young or advanced-aged patients by chi-square test for liner trend. RESULTS: Among the 1 065 spontaneous abortion patients, 570 cases (53.5%) of chromosomal abnormalities were detected in spontaneous abortion tissues, which included 489 cases (45.9%) of chromosomal aneuploidies and 36 cases (3.4%) of pathogenic/likely pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs). Trio-WES results have revealed one homozygote variant and one compound heterozygote variants in two pedigrees, both of which were inherited from the parents. One likely pathogenic variant was detected in the patient from two pedigrees. Multifactorial unconditional Logistic regression analysis suggested that age of patient was an independent risk factor of chromosome abnormalities (OR = 1.122, 95%CI: 1.069-1.177, P < 0.001), the number of previous abortions and IVF-ET pregnancy were independent protective factors for chromosomal abnormalities (OR = 0.791, 0.648; 95%CI: 0.682-0.916, 0.500-0.840; P = 0.002, 0.001), whilst the age of husband and history of live birth were not (P > 0.05). The incidence of aneuploidies in the abortive tissues has decreased with the number of previous spontaneous abortions in young patients (χ² = 18.051, P < 0.001), but was not significantly correlated with the number of previous spontaneous abortions in advanced-aged patients with spontaneous abortions (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Chromosomal aneuploidy is the main genetic factor for spontaneous abortion, though CNVs and genetic variants may also underlie its genetic etiology. The age of patients, number of previous abortions and IVF-ET pregnancy are closely associated with chromosome abnormalities in abortive tissues.
Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Aged ; Abortion, Spontaneous/genetics* ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Aneuploidy ; Abortion, Habitual/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a fetus with severe heart defect and mosaic trisomy 12, and the correlation between chromosomal abnormalities and clinical manifestations and pregnancy outcome. METHODS: A 33-year-old pregnant woman who presented at Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital on May 17, 2021 due to abnormal fetal heart development revealed by ultrasonography was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the fetus were collected. Amniotic fluid sample of the pregnant women was collected and subjected to G-banded chromosomal karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). The CNKI, WanFang and PubMed databases were searched with key words, with the retrieval period set as from June 1, 1992 to June 1, 2022. RESULTS: For the 33-year-old pregnant woman, ultrasonography at 22+6 gestational weeks had revealed abnormal fetal heart development and ectopic pulmonary vein drainage. G-banded karyotyping showed that the fetus has a karyotype of mos 47,XX,+12[1]/46,XX[73], with the mosaicism rate being 1.35%. CMA results suggested that about 18% of fetal chromosome 12 was trisomic. A newborn was delivered at 39 weeks of gestation. Follow-up confirmed severe congenital heart disease, small head circumference, low-set ears and auricular deformity. The infant had died 3 months later. The database search has retrieved 9 reports. Literature review suggested that the liveborn infants with mosaic trisomy 12 had diverse clinical manifestations depending on the affected organs, which had included congenital heart disease and/or other organs and facial dysmorphisms, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSION Trisomy 12 mosaicism is an important factor for severe heart defects. The results of ultrasound examination have important value for evaluating the prognosis of the affected fetuses.
Infant, Newborn ; Child ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Trisomy/genetics* ; Amniocentesis/methods* ; Chromosome Disorders ; Mosaicism ; Fetus ; Heart Defects, Congenital/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal mosaicisms. METHODS: A total of 775 pregnant women who had visited the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were selected as study subjects. Chromosome karyotyping analysis and CMA were carried out for all women, and FISH was used to validate the suspected mosaicism cases. RESULTS: Among the 775 amniotic fluid samples, karyotyping has identified 13 mosaicism cases, which yielded a detection rate of 1.55%. Respectively, there were 4, 3, 4 and 2 cases for sex chromosome number mosaicisms, abnormal sex chromosome structure mosaicisms, abnormal autosomal number mosaicisms and abnormal autosomal structure mosaicisms. CMA has only detected only 6 of the 13 cases. Among 3 cases verified by FISH, 2 cases were consistent with the karyotyping and CMA results, and clearly showed low proportion mosaicism, and 1 case was consistent with the result of karyotyping but with a normal result by CMA. Eight pregnant women had chosen to terminate the pregnancy (5 with sex chromosome mosaicisms and 3 with autosomal mosaicisms). CONCLUSION For fetuses suspected for chromosomal mosaicisms, CMA, FISH and G-banding karyotyping should be combined to determine the type and proportion of mosaicisms more precisely in order to provide more information for genetic counseling.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Mosaicism ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Sex Chromosome Aberrations ; Microarray Analysis/methods* ; Chromosomes