Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus in a family with mandibulofacial dysostosis

Abstract

To measure the feasibility of application of comparative genomic hybridization technique in the prenatal diagnosis of fetus with mandibulofacial dysostosis. A pregnant woman having a fetus with mandibulofacial dysostosis diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound test was selected. The amniotic fluid and blood of the pregnant and blood of her husband were collected and conventional cytogenetic analysis was performed. The whole genome was scanned by array comparative genomic hybridization assay (array-CGH). Reverse transcription fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was used to verify the result of array-CGH. No abnormality was found in conventional cytogenetic analysis while a duplicated region in 1p36.33 was detected by array-CGH assay. The region spans 722 kb and contains two genes, VWA1 and PYGO2, which play roles in the development of cartilage. The result of array-CGH was confirmed by the RT-qPCR assay. The diagnosis of mandibulofacial dysostosis was confirmed after birth. Author diagnosed a fetus with mandibulofacial dysostosis by array-CGH assay and found two candidate genes related to the development of craniofacial bone: VWA1 and PYGO2.