Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction to detect chromosomal anomalies in spontaneous abortion

Received 6 May 2008; received in revised form 20 July 2008; accepted 21 July 2008. published online 24 September 2008.

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the value of short tandem repeats (microsatellites) in the study of numerical chromosomal anomalies in spontaneous abortion.

Method

Multiplex quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) was carried out on 61 spontaneous abortion samples and 48 controls using microsatellite markers from 8 chromosomes where aneuploids are commonly found.

Results

Of the 61 samples, 65.6% were successfully karyotyped, and the call rate of the QF-PCR was 98.3%. The correspondence between PCR and karyotyping was 95%. The success rate of karyotyping in the inevitable abortion group was 79.6%, higher than for the missed abortion group (8.3%), P<0.001. The call rate of QF-PCR showed no difference between these 2 groups (100% vs 91.7%, P=0.197).

Conclusion

Microsatellite-based QF-PCR is a helpful and reliable tool to diagnose numerical chromosomal anomalies in spontaneous abortion. It also provides a diagnosis for necrotic tissue.

Keywords: Aneuploidy, Microsatellite, Numerical chromosomal anomaly, Spontaneous abortion, Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction

a Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, China

b Bio-X Life Science Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

c Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Corresponding authors. Duan is to be contacted at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital of Tongji University, 536 Changle Road, Shanghai 200040, China. Tel.: +86 21 54035206. He, Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Haoran Building, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai 200030, China. Tel.: +86 21 62822491.

PII: S0020-7292(08)00342-1

doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2008.07.014

10 of 32