Assessment of QF-PCR as the first approach in prenatal diagnosis.

Quantitative fluorescent PCR (QF PCR) has been used by many laboratories for prenatal diagnosis of the most common aneuploidies QF PCR is rapid, cost effective, and suitable for automation and can detect most abnormalities diagnosed by conventional karyotyping Whether QF PCR should be used alone in most of the samples and in which karyotyping should also be offered is currently a topic of debate We evaluated and compared the results obtained from 7679 prenatal samples in which conventional karyotype and QF PCR had been performed, including 1243 chorionic villi and 6436 amniotic fluid samples Concordant QF PCR and karyotype results were obtained in 98 75% of the samples An abnormal karyotype associated with adverse clinical outcome undetected by QF PCR was found in 0 05% of samples Therefore, QF PCR can be used alone in a large number of samples studied in a prenatal laboratory, thereby reducing both the workload in cytogenetic laboratories and parental anxiety when awaiting results (J Mol Diagn 2010, 12 828-834, DOI 10.2353/jmoldx.2010.090224)