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Identification of dosage‐sensitive genes in fetuses referred with severe isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Author(s) -
Brady P. D.,
DeKoninck P.,
Fryns J. P.,
Devriendt K.,
Deprest J. A.,
Vermeesch J. R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/pd.4244
Subject(s) - congenital diaphragmatic hernia , haploinsufficiency , microarray , fetus , diaphragmatic hernia , medicine , candidate gene , microarray analysis techniques , copy number variation , abnormality , prenatal diagnosis , bioinformatics , genetics , biology , pathology , gene , phenotype , hernia , genome , pregnancy , surgery , gene expression , psychiatry
Objective Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a fetal abnormality affecting diaphragm and lung development with a high mortality rate despite advances in fetal and neonatal therapy. CDH may occur either as an isolated defect or in syndromic form for which the prognosis is worse. Although conventional karyotyping and, more recently, chromosomal microarrays support a substantial role for genetic factors, causal genes responsible for isolated CDH remain elusive. We propose that chromosomal microarray analysis will identify copy number variations (CNVs) associated with isolated CDH. Methods We perform a prospective genome‐wide screen for CNVs using chromosomal microarrays on 75 fetuses referred with apparently isolated CDH, six of which were later reclassified as non‐isolated CDH. Results The results pinpoint haploinsufficiency of NR2F2 as a cause of CDH and cardiovascular malformations. In addition, the 15q25.2 and 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletions are associated with isolated CDH. By using gene prioritisation and network analysis, we provide strong evidence for several novel dosage‐sensitive candidate genes associated with CDH. Conclusions Chromosomal microarray analysis detects submicroscopic CNVs associated with isolated CDH or CDH with cardiovascular malformations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.