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Updated: Mar 18, 2026
Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization Array CGH for Detection of Genomic Copy Number Variants
Published on: February 21, 2015
Cytogenetic analysis of spontaneously discharged products of conception by array-based comparative genomic
Nobuaki Ozawa1, Haruhiko Sago1, Kentaro Matsuoka2
1Center of Maternal-Fetal, Neonatal and Reproductive Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan.
Background:
Cytogenetic analysis of products of conception (POC) is essential for the management of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), but the currently-performed G-banding method is not necessarily applicable to spontaneously discharged POC because of poor quality for culture. We analyzed the karyotypes of 15 spontaneously discharged POC by array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH).
Results:
All specimens were successfully analyzed and 10 cases had abnormal results: gain in copy number (n = 7) and loss in copy number (n = 3). Most of them were estimated to be whole chromosome aneuploidy, whereas one case was compatible with microdeletion. Two cases were suspected to be male diploid contaminated by maternal DNA or triploid because of the unsatisfactory signal patterns on X/Y chromosomes. Two of three cases with normal female DNA pattern were identified to be contaminated with maternal DNA by the additional analysis of short tandem repeats.
Conclusions:
Given the potential to analyze non-viable POC specimens, array-CGH is a feasible cytogenetic tool for women, in particular, with a history of RPL who desire non-surgical or expectant management of miscarriages and/or a thorough investigation on the cause for recurrent miscarriage, although it needs to take into account high incidence of maternal contamination in spontaneously discharged POC.
