The molecular analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2: Next-generation sequencing supersedes conventional approaches
Valeria D'Argenio1, Maria Valeria Esposito2, Antonella Telese2
1CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Background:
Accurate and sensitive detection of BRCA1/2 germ-line mutations is crucial for the clinical management of women affected by breast cancer, for prevention and, notably, also for the identification of at-risk healthy relatives. The most widely used methods for BRCA1/2 molecular analysis are Sanger sequencing, and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC) followed by the Sanger method. However, recent findings suggest that next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based approaches may be an efficient tool for diagnostic purposes. In this context, we evaluated the effectiveness of NGS for BRCA gene analysis compared with dHPLC/Sanger sequencing.
Methods:
Seventy women were screened for BRCA1/2 mutations by both dHPLC/Sanger sequencing and NGS, and the data were analyzed using a bioinformatic pipeline.
Results:
Sequence data analysis showed that NGS is more sensitive in detecting BRCA1/2 variants than the conventional procedure, namely, dHPLC/Sanger.
Conclusion:
Next-generation sequencing is more sensitive, faster, easier to use and less expensive than the conventional Sanger method. Consequently, it is a reliable procedure for the routine molecular screening of the BRCA1/2 genes.
