Application of DNA profiling to paternity testing during early pregnancy

Four probes that recognize D2S44, D17S79, D4S163 and D18S27 loci, were used to produce DNA profiles of 8- to 10-week-old chorionic villus samples and from blood samples of their respective parents. A total of 30 pedigrees were analyzed. The results showed strict Mendelian inheritance. The cumulative paternity index (PI) and probability of paternity (W) obtained with D2S44, D17S79 and D4S163 loci were sufficient to exceed the required standard (PI > 369, W > 99.73) for assertion of paternity for all pedigrees tested. Therefore, these three loci are likely to satisfy the paternity test requirements in the majority of paternity cases, involving unrelated individuals, in the Chinese Han population. The other combinations of three loci did not produce high enough values for all cases, but all W values were > 98%. The results show that, using DNA from chorionic villi, these polymorphic loci can resolve cases of disputed paternity during early pregnancy.