Clinical utility of comprehensive gene panel testing for common and rare causes of skeletal dysplasia and other skeletal disorders: Results from the largest cohort to date

Gretchen MacCarrick, Swaroop Aradhya, Mitch Bailey, Dorna Chu, Abigail Hunt, Emanuela Izzo, Deborah Krakow, William Mackenzie, Sarah Poll, Cathleen Raggio, Renée Shediac, Klane K. White, Heather M. McLaughlin, Guillermo Seratti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Molecular genetics enables more precise diagnoses of skeletal dysplasia and other skeletal disorders (SDs). We investigated the clinical utility of multigene panel testing for 5011 unrelated individuals with SD in the United States (December 2019–April 2022). Median (range) age was 8 (0–90) years, 70.5% had short stature and/or disproportionate growth, 27.4% had a positive molecular diagnosis (MDx), and 30 individuals received two MDx. Genes most commonly contributing to MDx were FGFR3 (16.9%), ALPL (13.0%), and COL1A1 (10.3%). Most of the 112 genes associated with ≥1 MDx were primarily involved in signal transduction (n = 35), metabolism (n = 23), or extracellular matrix organization (n = 17). There were implications associated with specific care/treatment options for 84.4% (1158/1372) of MDx-positive individuals; >50% were linked to conditions with targeted therapy approved or in clinical development, including osteogenesis imperfecta, achondroplasia, hypophosphatasia, and mucopolysaccharidosis. Forty individuals with initially inconclusive results became MDx-positive following family testing. Follow-up mucopolysaccharidosis enzyme activity testing was positive in 14 individuals (10 of these were not MDx-positive). Our findings showed that inclusion of metabolic genes associated with SD increased the clinical utility of a gene panel and confirmed that integrated use of comprehensive gene panel testing with orthogonal testing reduced the burden of inconclusive results.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere63646
JournalAmerican Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A
Volume194
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2024

Keywords

  • gene panel
  • genetic diagnostics
  • genetic testing
  • osteochondrodysplasias
  • skeletal disorders
  • skeletal dysplasia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics
  • Genetics(clinical)

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