This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bareil, C. Articles by des Georges, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bareil, C. Articles by des Georges, M.

Journal of Molecular Diagnostics 2007, Vol. 9, No. 5
Copyright © 2007 American Society for Investigative Pathology & Association for Molecular Pathology
DOI: 10.2353/jmoldx.2007.070040

Technical Advances

Comprehensive and Rapid Genotyping of Mutations and Haplotypes in Congenital Bilateral Absence of the Vas Deferens and Other Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator-Related Disorders

Corinne Bareil^*, Caroline Guittard^*, Jean-Pierre Altieri^*, Carine Templin^*, Mireille Claustres^* and Marie des Georges^*

From the CHU Montpellier, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Montpellier, F-34000; * Université Montpellier1, UFR de Médecine, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Montpellier, F-34000; and INSERM U827, Montpellier, F-34000 France

Abstract

Available commercial kits only screen for the most common cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations causing classic cystic fibrosis and for the Tn variant in IVS8. However, full scanning of CFTR is needed for the diagnosis of patients with cystic fibrosis or CFTR-related disorders (including congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens) bearing rare mutations. Standard strategies for detecting point mutations rely on extensive scanning of the gene by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis or denaturing high performance liquid chromatography, which are time-consuming. Moreover, the haplotyping of IVS8-(TG)m and Tn tracts is still challenging despite several recent improvements. We have optimized both the detection of mutations and the haplotyping of IVS8 polyvariants in developing two methods: i) a rapid and robust direct sequence analysis of all exons/flanking introns of the CFTR gene based on single condition touchdown amplification/sequencing in 96-well plates, and ii) a fluorescent assay that allows haplotyping of IVS8-(TG)mTn even without family linkage study. Combined with search for rare large rearrangements, this strategy detected 87.9% of CFTR defects in congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens patients, a proportion considerably higher than those usually reported. These highly efficient tests, scanning each sample in a few days, greatly improve the genotyping of patients with CFTR-related symptoms and may be particularly important in emergency situations such as fetus with hyperechogenic bowel suggestive of cystic fibrosis.