The Correlation of Cystic Fibrosis Screening Test Results with Ultrasonographically Detected Fetal Anomalies in Prenatal Diagnosis

Objective: In a multiethnic community, our goal was to assess the applicability of this method. Here we offer a collection of 112 diagnostic prenatal samples for which a comprehensive study of exons, exons/intron boundaries, and major rearrangements has been investigated in prenatal samples of fetuses with suspected cystic fibrosis over the past decade.Methods: For the CFTR mutation study, 112 prenatal samples (amniotic fluid, chorionic villi, or cultured cells from amniotic fluid or chorionic villi) were brought into our lab. QIAseq Targeted NGS DNA Panel (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) was performed to analyze the CFTR gene (27 exons).Results: The pathogenic variation NM000492.4(CFTR):c.3454G>C was the most often found (p.Asp1152His), which accounted for 50% of the classic pathogenic CF variants in the study population. Compound heterozygous CFTR pathogenic variations were detected in one of our patients. NM000492.3(CFTR):c.2620-15C>G and NM000492.3(CFTR):c.2756A>G Two variants, one of which was reported as VUS and the other as pathogenic, were detected in a 17-week -old fetus (0.89%). Fetus inherited the NM000492.3(CFTR):c.2756A>G variant from mother and the NM000492.3(CFTR):c.2620-15C>G variant from father. There is an isolated hyperechoic bowel sign at 17 weeks of pregnancy.Conclusion: In our case series, genetic analyzes suggest that an affected child may be heterozygous for CFTR mutations, compound heterozygous for two clinically significant recessive mutations inherited from healthy carrier parents. Early prenatal genetic testing pretesting and posttesting genetic counseling is crucial in the management of future pregnancies in heterozygous couples which are healthy carriers for CFTR mutations.