A diagnostic approach to identifying submicroscopic 7p21 deletions in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome: Fluorescence in situ hybridization and dosage-sensitive Southern blot analysis

Purpose: To report on the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and dosage-sensitive Southern blot analysis in the molecular diagnosis of p atients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, Methods: FISH and dosage-sensitive S outhern blot analysis utilizing TWIST gene probes were performed on patient s with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome but without an identifiable TWIST sequence variation. Results: Four unrelated patients with a deletion of the TWIST ge ne were identified by Southern blot; one of them had a complex chromosomal rearrangement involving 7p21 and no apparent deletion by FISH, suggesting a smaller deletion in the region including the TWIST gene. A fifth patient h ad an abnormal TWIST gene fragment on Southern blot analysis that segregate d with the disease in the family; FISH was normal in this patient, suggesti ng a partial deletion or rearrangement in or near the gene. Conclusion: FIS H and dosage-sensitive Southern blot analysis are useful diagnostic tools i n Saethre-Chotzen syndrome without TWIST sequence variation.