COMPARATIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION - TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CYTOGENETIC ASPECTS FOR ROUTINE USE IN CLINICAL LABORATORIES

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) offers a new global approach f or detection of chromosomal material imbalances of the entiere genome in a single experiment without cell culture, In this paper, we discuss the technical development and the cytogenetic aspects of CGH in a cli nical laboratory. Based only on the visual inspection of CGH metaphase spreads, the correct identification of numerical and structural anoma lies are reported, No commercial image analysis software was required in these experiments, We have demonstrated that this new technology ca n be set up easily for routine use in a clinical cytogenetics laborato ry.