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Test Code FXS Fragile X Syndrome, Molecular Analysis, Varies

Reflex Tests

Test ID Reporting Name Available Separately Always Performed
CULFB Fibroblast Culture for Genetic Test Yes No
CULAF Amniotic Fluid Culture/Genetic Test Yes No
MATCC Maternal Cell Contamination, B Yes No
FUFXS Fragile X, Follow up Analysis No No

Testing Algorithm

When this test is ordered, fragile X follow-up analysis testing will be performed and charged dependent upon the reported sex of the individual and on the size of the CGG repeat found by polymerase chain reaction analysis.

 

When sending in prenatal specimens:

-If amniotic fluid (nonconfluent cultured cells) is received, amniotic fluid culture will be added at an additional charge.

-If chorionic villus specimen (nonconfluent cultured cells) is received, fibroblast culture for genetic test will be added at an additional charge.

For any prenatal specimen that is received, maternal cell contamination studies will be added.

Method Name

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Specimen Type

Varies


Ordering Guidance


FMR1-methylation status cannot be assessed on chorionic villus specimens. Contact a molecular genetic counselor/consultant at 800-533-1710 to discuss the limitations of testing prior to sending a chorionic villus specimen for fragile X analysis.



Additional Testing Requirements


All prenatal specimens must be accompanied by a maternal blood specimen. Order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen. This must be a different order number than the prenatal specimen.



Shipping Instructions


Specimen preferred to arrive within 96 hours of collection.



Specimen Required


Patient Preparation: A previous bone marrow transplant from an allogeneic donor will interfere with testing. For instructions for testing patients who have received a bone marrow transplant, call 800-533-1710.

 

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

 

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Lavender top (EDTA) or yellow top (ACD)

Acceptable: Green top (Sodium heparin)

Specimen Volume: 3 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Invert several times to mix blood.

2. Send whole blood specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) 4 days/Refrigerated 4 days/Frozen 4 days

Additional Information:

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 4 days of collection. Extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 4 days, and DNA yield will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. To ensure minimum volume and concentration of DNA is met, the requested volume must be submitted. Testing may be canceled if DNA requirements are inadequate.

 

Specimen Type: Cord blood

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Lavender top (EDTA) or yellow top (ACD)

Acceptable: Green top (Sodium heparin)

Specimen Volume: 3 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Invert several times to mix blood.

2. Send specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) 4 days/Refrigerated 4 days/Frozen 4 days

Additional Information:

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 4 days of collection. Extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 4 days, and DNA yield will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. To ensure minimum volume and concentration of DNA is met, the requested volume must be submitted. Testing may be canceled if DNA requirements are inadequate.

3. While a properly collected cord blood sample may not be at risk for maternal cell contamination, unanticipated complications may occur during collection. Therefore, maternal cell contamination studies are recommended to ensure the test results reflect that of the patient tested and are available at an additional charge.

4. Order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen.

 

Specimen Type: Extracted DNA

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Screw Cap Micro Tube, 2mL with skirted conical base

Acceptable: Matrix tube, 1mL

Collection Instructions:

1. The preferred volume is at least 100 mcL at a concentration of 75 ng/mcL.

2. Include concentration and volume on tube.

Specimen Stability Information: Frozen (preferred) 1 year/Ambient/Refrigerated

Additional Information: DNA must be extracted in a CLIA-certified laboratory or equivalent and must be extracted from a specimen type listed as acceptable for this test (including applicable anticoagulants). Our laboratory has experience with Chemagic, Puregene, Autopure, MagnaPure, and EZ1 extraction platforms and cannot guarantee that all extraction methods are compatible with this test. If testing fails, one repeat will be attempted, and if unsuccessful, the test will be reported as failed and a charge will be applied. If applicable, specific gene regions that were unable to be interrogated due to DNA quality will be noted in the report.

 

Prenatal Specimens

Due to its complexity, consultation with the laboratory is required for all prenatal testing; call 800-533-1710 to speak to a genetic counselor.

 

Specimen Type: Amniotic fluid

Container/Tube: Amniotic fluid container

Specimen Volume: 20 mL

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) <24 hours/Refrigerated <24 hours

Additional Information: Direct testing of an uncultured specimen may be attempted for this test. Contact the laboratory at 800-533-1710 if direct testing is desired.).

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 24 hours of collection. Culture and/or extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 24 hours and will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULAF / Culture for Genetic Testing, Amniotic Fluid. An additional 2 to 3 weeks is required to culture amniotic fluid before genetic testing can occur.

3. All prenatal specimens must be accompanied by a maternal blood specimen; order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen

 

Specimen Type: Prenatal cultured fibroblasts (eg, products of conception), amniocytes, or other confluent cultured cells. This does not include cultured chorionic villi.

Container/Tube: T-25 flask

Specimen Volume: 2 Flasks

Collection Instructions: Submit confluent cultured cells from another laboratory.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) <24 hours/Refrigerated <24 hours

Additional Information:

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 24 hours of collection. Culture and/or extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 24 hours and will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULFB / Fibroblast Culture for Biochemical or Molecular Testing.

3. All prenatal specimens must be accompanied by a maternal blood specimen; order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen.

 

Specimen Type: Chorionic villi

Container/Tube: 15-mL tube containing 15 mL of transport media

Specimen Volume: 20 mg

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) <24 hours/Refrigerated <24 hours

Additional Information: Specimen can be tested from a direct extraction or culture: Contact the laboratory at 800-533-1710 if a direct testing is desired.

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 24 hours of collection. Culture and/or extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 24 hours and will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULFB / Fibroblast Culture for Biochemical or Molecular Testing. An additional 3 to 4 weeks is required to culture fibroblasts before genetic testing can occur.

3. All prenatal specimens must be accompanied by a maternal blood specimen; order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen.

 

Specimen Type: Cultured chorionic villi

Container/Tube: T-25 flasks

Specimen Volume: 2 Full flasks

Collection Instructions: Submit confluent cultured cells from another laboratory.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) <24 hours/Refrigerated <24 hours

Additional Information:

1. Specimens are preferred to be received within 24 hours of collection. Culture and/or extraction will be attempted for specimens received after 24 hours and will be evaluated to determine if testing may proceed.

2. A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULFB / Fibroblast Culture for Biochemical or Molecular Testing.

3. All prenatal specimens must be accompanied by a maternal blood specimen; order MATCC / Maternal Cell Contamination, Molecular Analysis, Varies on the maternal specimen.


Specimen Minimum Volume

See Specimen Required

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type Temperature Time
Varies Varies

Reject Due To

All specimens will be evaluated at Mayo Clinic Laboratories for test suitability.

Clinical Information

Note: Where applicable, verbiage refers to sex assigned at birth.

 

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an X-linked disorder with variable expression in male and female patients. In greater than 99% of affected individuals, it is caused by an expansion of the CGG trinucleotide repeat in the 5'UTR (untranslated region) of the FMR1 gene located on the X chromosome. This trinucleotide repeat is polymorphic in the general population, with the number of repeats ranging from 5 to 44. These normal alleles are passed from generation to generation, with the number of repeats remaining constant. Small expansions, called premutations, range from 55 to 200 CGG repeats. Individuals with a premutation do not exhibit features of FXS but are at risk for other FMR1-related disorders, such as fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Transmission of a premutation by a man to his female child usually results in little or no change in the CGG repeat number. Transmission of a premutation by a woman to her child usually results in further expansion, either to a larger premutation or a full mutation. The risk for a woman with a premutation to have a child affected with FXS by expansion to a full mutation increases with the number of CGG repeats in the premutation. Full mutations are typically greater than 200 repeats long and are generally associated with abnormal methylation of a region adjacent to the FMR1 gene. This is thought to interfere with normal FMR1 gene expression, resulting in FXS. There are multiple clinical phenotypes associated with expansion (premutations and full mutations) in the FMR1 gene.

 

Fragile X Syndrome:

Approximately 1 in 4000 individuals are affected with FXS. Most affected male patients exhibit moderate intellectual disability, with affected female patients having milder, if any, cognitive deficiency. Neuropsychiatric diagnoses, such as autism spectrum and anxiety disorders, are common. Characteristic physical features include a long face with a prominent jaw, protruding ears, connective tissue abnormalities, and large testicles in postpubertal male patients.

 

Fragile X Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome:

Fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome  is a neurodegenerative disorder that is clinically distinct from FXS. Both male and female patients with a premutation are at risk for FXTAS. However, the disorder is much less common and milder in clinical presentation than FXS and shows a later age of onset in female patients. Clinical hallmarks of the disorder include intention tremor, gait ataxia, dementia, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The risk for FXTAS increases as the number of CGG repeats increases, and the majority of individuals with FXTAS have CGG repeat expansions of 70 or more. Penetrance of clinical symptoms is associated with increasing age, with the majority of affected males showing symptoms between age 70 and 90 years.

 

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency:

Female patients with a premutation are at risk for increased follicular stimulating hormone levels, early menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Penetrance and early onset of female reproductive symptoms correlate with increasing size of the CGG repeat and reaches its highest penetrance at approximately 80 to 90 repeats. Of note, penetrance remains stable or may even decrease at approximately 100 repeats. There is no risk for increased penetrance of the POI phenotype due to maternal or paternal inheritance of the expanded CGG repeat.

Reference Values

Normal alleles: 5-44 CGG repeats

Intermediate (grey zone) alleles: 45-54 CGG repeats

Premutation alleles: 55-200 CGG repeats

Full mutation alleles: >200 CGG repeats

An interpretive report will be provided.

 

Methylation status:

Unmethylated: ≤20%

Partially methylated: 21-69%

Fully methylated: ≥70%

Day(s) Performed

Varies

Report Available

8 to 10 days

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

CPT Code Information

81243

88233 (if appropriate)

88240 (if appropriate)

88235 (if appropriate)

81265 (if appropriate)

81244 (if appropriate)

Forms

1. New York Clients-Informed consent is required. Document on the request form or electronic order that a copy is on file. The following documents are available:

-Informed Consent for Genetic Testing (T576)

-Informed Consent for Genetic Testing-Spanish (T826)

2. Molecular Genetics: Congenital Inherited Diseases Patient Information (T521)

3. If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Neurology Specialty Testing Client Test Request (T732) with the specimen.