[Chromosome microarray analysis of patients with 18q deletion syndrome]

To analyze the correlation between the genotype and phenotype of 18q deletion syndrome with chromosome microarray analysis (CMA).

Eight cases with 18q deletion syndrome were selected, including two affected fetuses and six children patients. DNA was extracted and hybridized with Affymetrix CytoScan TM 750K arrays following the manufacturer's standard protocol. The data was analyzed with a special software package.

CMA analysis identified pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) on 18q in all cases, which ranged from 6.612 Mb to 22.973 Mb. NFATC1, GALR1, MBP, SALL3 and TSHZ1 are likely to be causative genes for congenital heart disease, psychological, growth retardation, and cleft palate.

CMA can precisely locate the breakpoints of 18q and facilitate definition of the genotype-phenotype correlations, which is useful for prognosis.