Prenatal diagnosis of α-thalassemia by polymerase chain reaction and dual restriction enzyme analysis

• Published in: Human genetics 1990-08, Vol.85 (3), p.293-299
• Main Authors: LEBO, R. V, SAIKI, R. K, SWANSON, K, MONTANO, M. A, ERLICH, H. A, GOLBUS, M. S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosome Deletion; Genetic Carrier Screening; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Haplotypes; Humans; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Prenatal Diagnosis; Restriction Mapping; Thalassemia - diagnosis; Thalassemia - genetics
• ISSN: 0340-6717; 1432-1203
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00206749

Asian couples at risk for a fetus with homozygous alpha-thalassemia (hydrops fetalis) are often identified by their low erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and normal hemoglobin electrophoresis when little time remains to test their genotypes by restriction enzyme analysis. DNA analysis is performed directly on chorionic villi or amniocytes remaining after an aliquot is used to establish a backup cell culture. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol quickly determines whether the fetus has hydrops fetalis without waiting for cultured cells to grow. Previously, growing cultured fetal cells to obtain more fetal material to establish unambiguously the fetal genotype with two independent restriction enzyme digests absorbed a significant portion of the time remaining to complete prenatal diagnosis. A dual restriction enzyme digestion protocol was development using a 3' zeta-globin probe to clearly distinguish the most common alpha-thalassemia deletions that represent nearly all the alpha-thalassemia haplotypes in Southeast Asia.