The fertility willingness and acceptability of preimplantation genetic testing in Chinese patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

State of the Science and Ethical Considerations for Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Cystic Kidney Diseases and Ciliopathies

There is a broad phenotypic spectrum of monogenic polycystic kidney diseases (PKDs). These disorders often involve cilia-related genes and lead to the development of fluid-filled cysts and eventual kidney function decline and failure. Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic (PGT-M) disorders has moved into the clinical realm. It allows prospective parents to avoid passing on heritable diseases to their children, including monogenic PKD. The PGT-M process involves embryo generation through in vitro fertilization, with subsequent testing of embryos and selective transfer of those that do not harbor the specific disease-causing variant(s). There is a growing body of literature supporting the success of PGT-M for autosomal-dominant and autosomal-recessive PKD, although with important technical limitations in some cases. This technology can be applied to many other types of monogenic PKD and ciliopathies despite the lack of existing reports in the literature. PGT-M for monogenic PKD, like other forms of assisted reproductive technology, raises important ethical questions. When considering PGT-M for kidney diseases, as well as the potential to avoid disease in future generations, there are regulatory and ethical considerations. These include limited government regulation and unstandardized consent processes, potential technical errors, high cost and equity concerns, risks associated with pregnancy for mothers with kidney disease, and the impact on all involved in the process, including the children who were made possible with this technology.

Patient Perspectives on ADPKD

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited kidney disease. It has been associated with a significant physical and psychological burden, leading to a reduced quality of life. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize the patient perspective on ADPKD based on the current published literature. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Publications reporting a patient or caregiver/relative perspective of ADPKD were included. Sources searched included Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to April 2022. This was followed by a subsequent reference and citation search. A total of 1011 articles were identified by the search process, with 28 studies included in the review. An inductive thematic analysis identified six key themes: diagnosis, monitoring, and screening; symptoms; lifestyle and dietary interventions; psychological, physical, and social impact; future planning; and interaction with the health care system. The findings of this review highlight the burden and uncertainty associated with ADPKD from a patient's perspective. This impacts patients and their caregivers/relatives at each stage of the patient's journey from screening to initiation of renal replacement therapy and future planning.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing: A Perceptual Study From the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Background: Chromosomal abnormalities affect many children which lead to high rates of morbidity and mortality among them. So, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is an evolving technology used to detect a specific genetic disorder in embryos of a couple known to be carriers or affected by a specific mutation. Similarly, it could be used in advanced maternal age which is a high risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Although PGT is a solution for many inherited chromosomal disorders, many ethical dilemmas surround its application. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the community awareness and acceptance of PGT which will eventually lead to a healthier society through disease-free babies in Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methodology: A qualitative cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted within the population of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was designed in Arabic and distributed electronically through social media platforms.

Results: The study included 837 participants, whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years with the mean age 33.5 ± 11.9 years. Good awareness and acceptance were detected among 53.7% of the old aged group (50 years or more) compared to 39.5% of the young age group. Also, 44.9% of female participants had good awareness in comparison to 34.2% of males (p=.033). Participants with a higher number of children had significantly higher awareness and acceptance of PGT. Also, 44.3% of participants who knew someone in need of assisted reproductive technology, had good awareness and acceptance levels compared to 36.9% of those who did not (p=.033).

Conclusion: The perception of Eastern Province’s Saudi citizens toward PGT is found to be low. Increasing their perception toward such technology is needed as it is known that many chromosomal abnormalities are prevalent among this population, particularly sickle cell disease. Achieving this goal will eventually lead to decrease the burden of prevalent inherited diseases. Since Saudis' opinions are almost influenced by cultural and religious points of view, care should be given to these aspects.