It is necessary to define reference DNA Methylation Episignatures from fetal DNA. The hypotheses are: * It is possible to define reference DNA Methylation Episignatures from fetal DNA extracted from amniotic fluid or frozen tissues collected during the postmortem examination * Fetal DNA Methylation Episignatures may be different to postanal DNA Methylation Episignatures defined on DNA extracted from blood
Congenital anomalies (CA) complicate 3 to 5% of pregnancies and may be associated with genetic disorders. Diagnosis of genetic diseases is a major medical challenge, especially during pregnancy. Over the past two decades, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized our ability to identify the genetic condition associated with CA. During pregnancy, prenatal exome sequencing identified an additional diagnosis in around 30% of fetuses with CA when standard chromosomal investigations (karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis, CMA) fail to provide a diagnosis. Despite these major advances, around 40% of rare diseases remain unsolved, including 10-15% of patients harboring variants of uncertain significance (VUS). After birth, additional functional analyses ("multi-OMICS"), including genome-wide DNA methylation studies, may be offered to reclassify VUS. DNA methylation anomalies play an important role in pathologies (developmental disorders and oncology). DNA methylation Episignatures, defined as the cumulative DNA methylation patterns occurring at multiple CpG dinucleotides across the genome, have been recognized to be intricately associated with many human traits, including age, sex, and disease status. Recently, DNA Methylation Episignatures have been identified in the blood of children or adults for several well-characterized genetic diseases. However, these postnatal DNA Methylation Episignatures cannot be used during pregnancy, because DNA methylation changes from one tissue to another and during time, especially during fetal developpement. In addition, the tissues available during pregnancy are different from those analyzed postnatally (blood).
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
63
Genomic DNA will be treated with bisulfite. 500 ng of processed DNA is then hybrized on an EPICv2 array Infinium methylation (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). This microarray enables the analysis of approximately 865 000 methylation sites at promoters, enhancers, CpG islands, intergenic and intragenic regions. It is the most widely used chip in the literature, including almost all of the EPIGENETIC SIGNATURES reported in human pathology.
Department of Genomic Medicine for Rare Diseases and the Multidisciplinary Center for Prenatal Diagnosis of the Necker-Enfants malades Hospital
Paris, France
Epigenetic signature associated with pathogenic variations in the CHD7 gene (CHARGE Syndrome)
Evidence of epigenetic signature from fetal tissue DNA in fetuses with pathogenic or probably pathogenic variation
Time frame: 12 months
Epigenetic signature associated with pathogenic variations in the KMT2D gene (KABUKI syndrome)
Evidence of epigenetic signature from fetal tissue DNA in fetuses with pathogenic or probably pathogenic variation
Time frame: 12 months
Differential methylation between fetal and postnatal epigenetic signature
Evidence of differential methylation between fetal an postnatal epigenetic signature
Time frame: 12 months
Differential methylation between tissue and amniotic fluid epigenetic signatures
Evidence of differential methylation between tissue and amniotic fluid epigenetic signatures
Time frame: 12 months
Statistical prediction parameter for each epigenetic signature
Measurement of the statistical prediction parameter for each epigenetic signature
Time frame: 12 months
Identification of a new epigenetic signature in foetal pathologies
Identification of news epigenetic signatures of exclusively pathologies associated with the HYLS1, TCTN3 and FLVCR2 genes
Time frame: 12 months
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