Establishing the Diagnosis
The diagnosis of familial monosomy 7 is established in a proband with all of the following features:
Monosomy 7 cells identified on peripheral blood examination or any of the following: bone marrow insufficiency, MDS, AML
Monosomy 7 cell line identified on bone marrow examination
Family member with characteristic hematologic findings and demonstration of monosomy 7
Exclusion of other hematologic disorders with known clonal acquisition of monosomy 7 (e.g., normal chromosome breakage studies and telomere length assay; see
Differential Diagnosis)
Note: Because monosomy 7 is typically sporadic, the proband is usually considered to be a simplex case (i.e., a single occurrence in a family) until an additional family member is found to have characteristic findings. Typically these asymptomatic family members have an unremarkable prior medical history; laboratory findings in these individuals are likely to include macrocytic red blood cells (MCV >94 fL), increased concentrations of hemoglobin F, and low normal platelet counts.
Cytogenetic and molecular testing approaches can include G-banded cytogenetic analysis and deletion/duplication analysis.
G-banded cytogenetic analysis demonstrates a 45,XX,-7 karyotype in females and 45,XY,-7 karyotype in males, often mosaic with normal cells (i.e., 46,XX in females and 46,XY in males). This testing should be performed on unstimulated samples (i.e., without PHA or other mitogens), because stimulation can mask the cells with monosomy 7. A minimum of three in 20 cells lacking a chromosome 7 confirms the diagnosis of monosomy 7. Additionally, a high percentage of monosomy 7 marrow cells by G-banded cytogenetic analysis of unstimulated cells can be attributable to either replacement of normal bone marrow cells by abnormal cells or high endogenous mitotic activity of the abnormal cells. A minimum of 20 unstimulated metaphase cells should be analyzed for a complete cytogenetic analysis.
Note: (1) Individuals with familial monosomy 7 may initially have a normal karyotype in peripheral blood and/or bone marrow and over time transition to mosaic monosomy 7 in peripheral blood and/or bone marrow. Thus, normal cytogenetic studies in either peripheral blood or bone marrow at the onset of hematologic disease do not eliminate the possibility of subsequent loss of a chromosome 7 associated with bone marrow failure, MDS, and/or AML. (2) In some individuals, treatment with steroids, which inhibit the growth of cells in culture, can mask the cytogenetic identification of monosomy 7. However, monosomy 7 would be identifiable by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or microarray analysis; therefore, FISH or microarray is favored when performing longitudinal assessment of clonal percentage.
Deletion/duplication analysis. Monosomy 7 can be detected by multiple molecular methods that determine copy number. Genome sequencing or chromosome-targeted approaches can be applied.
Genomic microarray technologies. Chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) using oligonucleotide arrays or SNP genotyping arrays can detect mosaic monosomy 7.
Chromosome-targeted deletion analysis. Chromosome-targeted methods include fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative PCR.
Note: A pre-onset monosomy is not detectable with the presently available deletion/duplication methodology. Thus, a sib of a person with known monosomy 7 should be under continuous surveillance for emergence of hematologic anomalies.
Table 1.
Molecular Genetic Testing Used in Familial Monosomy 7 Syndrome
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Method | Pathogenic Variants Detected 1 | Proportion of Probands w/a Pathogenic Variant Detectable by Method |
---|
G-banded karyotype | Monosomy 7 / deletion 7q | 100% |
Deletion/ duplication analysis 2 | Chromosomal microarray (CMA) 3 | Deletion / monosomy mosaicism | 100% 4 |
FISH | Deletion / monosomy mosaicism | 100% 5 |
Quantitative PCR 6 | Deletion / monosomy | 100% w/a sensitivity of ~1:100,000 |
- 1.
- 2.
Testing that identifies exon or whole-gene deletions/duplications not detectable by sequence analysis of the coding and flanking intronic regions of genomic DNA. Methods used may include quantitative PCR, long-range PCR, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and chromosomal microarray (CMA) that includes this gene/chromosome segment.
- 3.
Additional acquired cytogenetic abnormalities have been seen. Occasionally, rearrangement of chromosome 7 material results in retention of the short arm (7p) and loss of the long arm (7q) resulting in monosomy of 7q (sometimes called "partial monosomy 7").
- 4.
Minimal detection for mosaicism depends on laboratory cut-off values; typical range: 20%-30%.
- 5.
Minimal detection for mosaicism depends on laboratory cut-off values; typical range: 10%-20%.
- 6.