Monozygotic twins discordant for low-level mosaic trisomy 17 at amniocentesis in a pregnancy with a favorable outcome and a literature review of heterokaryotypic monozygotic twins at amniocentesis

Abstract

Objective: We present a set of twins discordant for low-level mosaic trisomy 17 at amniocentesis, and we review the literature of heterokaryotypic monozygotic twins at amniocentesis. Materials and methods: We describe a monozygotic twin pregnancy with discordant karyotypes and structural abnormalities. A 22-year-old, primigravid woman underwent amniocentesis at 21 weeks of gestation because of an abnormal maternal serum screening result for Down syndrome. Prenatal ultrasound revealed twin-twin transfusion syndrome but no detectable fetal structural abnormalities. Conventional cytogenetic analysis was applied on cultured amniocytes and parental bloods. Polymorphic DNA marker analysis by quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) testing was performed on the DNAs extracted from cultured amniocytes, parental bloods and peripheral bloods of the twins after birth. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed on buccal mucosal epithelial cells. Results: Amniocentesis revealed a karyotype of 47,XX,+17 [3]/46,XX [23] in twin A and a karyotype of 46,XX in twin B. The parental karyotypes were normal. QF-PCR confirmed monozygotic twinning and excluded uniparental disomy (UPD) 17. At 35 weeks of gestation, a 1778-g twin A and a 2396-g twin B were delivered smoothly. Both infants had the karyotype of 46,XX in the peripheral bloods and were phenotypically normal except that twin A had preaxial polydactyly on the right hand. Postnatal QF-PCR testing confirmed monozygotic twinning. The infants were doing well at age 2 years and 7 months at follow-ups with normal physical and psychomotor development. FISH analysis on buccal mucosal epithelial cells showed trisomy 17 signals in 4.16% (4/96) cells, compared with 5% (5/101 cells) in normal control. Conclusions: Monozygotic twins discordant for low-level mosaic trisomy 17 at amniocentesis without ultrasound abnormalities can have a favorable outcome. Prenatal diagnosis of twins discordant for structural abnormalities and/or chromosomal aberrations should alert the possibility of monozygotic twinning, and QF-PCR testing is useful for rapid determination of zygosity and exclusion of UPD under such a circumstance. Keywords: Amniocentesis, Discordant karyotypes, Heterokaryotypic monozygotic twins, Mosaic trisomy 17