Prenatal diagnosis of genetic disease with molecular genetic technology

DNA polymorphism at the casein loci in sheep

By using seven endonucleases and four bovine cDNA probes specific for alpha S1-, alpha S2-, beta-, and kappa-casein genes, nine restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have been found in the sheep orthologous DNA regions. In contrast to the low level of variation observed at the protein level, these DNA polymorphisms determine a high level of heterozygosity and, therefore, represent useful tools for genetic analyses since they can also be obtained without the need for gene expression. In fact, informative matings suggest that in sheep, as in cattle, the four loci are linked.

The acceptability of prenatal diagnosis in Japan

Prenatal diagnosis has been performed more frequently in Japan recently, but is still less popular than in the United States or Europe. Legal arrangements, insufficient economic support, and insufficient medical information provided to future parents may explain this difference. The acceptability of prenatal diagnosis, based on the concept of the cost of side effects and elective abortion, was found to be similar when examined through decision analysis and direct survey. Amniocentesis was considered useful for more than half of couples in Japan when the incidence of chromosomal abnormality is more than 0.5% and proper information about the decision to undergo this examination is provided to the pregnant woman and her family.