Quantitative measurement of duplicated DNA as a diagnostic test for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1a

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1) is a hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. The autosomal dominant subtype is often linked with a large duplication on chromosome 17p11.2. The gene encoding the peripheral myelin protein PMP 22 (the critical gene in this subtype of CMT1) is located within this duplication. To detect this duplication in chromosomal DNA from individuals thought to have CMT1, we compared the hybridization signals of two DNA probes within this duplication (VAW412R3a and VAW409R3a) with the signal of a reference probe (E3.9). When duplication was present, the signals from the first two probes increased from 100% (for nonduplicated samples) to 145% and 142%, respectively. The day-to-day variance was 3.7% and 5.1%, respectively. We demonstrated this DNA duplication in 49 of 95 DNA samples from unrelated individuals thought to have CMT1. Moreover, because hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is based on a DNA deletion in the same area of chromosome 17, this quantitative test may be useful in establishing the presence of HNPP. In a preliminary investigation, four unrelated patients with HNPP yielded test values of 63% and 54%, respectively, of those for nonduplicated samples (CV 19% and 18%, respectively; n = 4), suggesting a deletion in 17p11.2.