Authors

Sian Ellard, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Karen L. Stals, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
M Wakeling
Júlia Baptista, Peninsula Medical School
Richard Caswell, University of Exeter
Andrew Parrish, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Julia Rankin, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Carolyn Tysoe, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Garan Jones, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Adam C. Gunning, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Allen H Lango
Lisa Bradley, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children
Angela F. Brady, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Helena Carley, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Jenny Carmichael, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
Bruce Castle, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Deirdre Cilliers, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Helen Cox, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Charu Deshpande, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Abhijit Dixit, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Jacqueline Eason, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Frances Elmslie, St George's Hospital
Andrew E. Fry, University Hospital of Wales
Alan Fryer, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
Muriel Holder, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Tessa Homfray, St George's Hospital
Emma Kivuva, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Victoria McKay, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
R Newbury‐Ecob
Michael Parker, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Claire Searle
Nora Shannon
Deborah Shears
Sarah Smithson
Ellen Thomas
Peter D. Turnpenny
Vinod Varghese
Pradeep Vasudevan
E Wakeling
Emma L. Baple
Sian Ellard

ORCID

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveRare genetic disorders resulting in prenatal or neonatal death are genetically heterogeneous, but testing is often limited by the availability of fetal DNA, leaving couples without a potential prenatal test for future pregnancies. We describe our novel strategy of exome sequencing parental DNA samples to diagnose recessive monogenic disorders in an audit of the first 50 couples referred.MethodExome sequencing was carried out in a consecutive series of 50 couples who had 1 or more pregnancies affected with a lethal or prenatal‐onset disorder. In all cases, there was insufficient DNA for exome sequencing of the affected fetus. Heterozygous rare variants (MAF < 0.001) in the same gene in both parents were selected for analysis. Likely, disease‐causing variants were tested in fetal DNA to confirm co‐segregation.ResultsParental exome analysis identified heterozygous pathogenic (or likely pathogenic) variants in 24 different genes in 26/50 couples (52%). Where 2 or more fetuses were affected, a genetic diagnosis was obtained in 18/29 cases (62%). In most cases, the clinical features were typical of the disorder, but in others, they result from a hypomorphic variant or represent the most severe form of a variable phenotypic spectrum.ConclusionWe conclude that exome sequencing of parental samples is a powerful strategy with high clinical utility for the genetic diagnosis of lethal or prenatal‐onset recessive disorders. © 2017 The Authors Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOI

10.1002/pd.5175

Publication Date

2018-01-01

Publication Title

Prenatal Diagnosis

Volume

38

Issue

1

ISSN

0197-3851

First Page

33

Last Page

43

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